tornadoes and floods and storms, oh my! are you prepared? P.60 The refined art of throwing a launch party P.69
THE COOLEST—AND HOTTEST—TRENDS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY P.51
Techniques & trends in global residential construction P.44
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How and Why Landscape Packages Seal the Deal
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Thank you for helping us build a more energy efficient Ontario. Alliance Homes
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contents
44 A World of Difference From eco-friendly Denmark to Japan’s disposable homes
38 Growing Trend
51 In and Out
60 Weather or Not
Landscaping packages capitalize on buyers’ desire for outdoor living
What’s hot and what’s not in home & condo interior design
Preparing for the increasing wrath of Mother Nature
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contents
38 TK 69 69 Wasn’t That a Party!
76
Some project launches are more memorable than others
76 Will They Stay or Will They Go? Predicting the future residences of our seniors
85 Making an Airtight Case EnerQuality celebrates 10th anniversary of Energy Star for New Homes
13 Tornadoes and floods and sTorms, oh my! are you PrePared? P.58 The refined arT of Throwing a launch parTy p.40
The cooleST—and hoTTeST—TrendS in energy efficiency p.75
Techniques & Trends in global residenTial consTrucTion P.42
ohba.ca SPRING 2015 | $5.00
11 One Voice
By Jennifer Coccimiglio
13 Ontario Report Minto’s in the green at EQ Awards, OHBA makes pre-budget submissions, College of Trades review dates, Association events and golf tourneys, and Ontario members win big at NAHB Awards.
27 Marketing
Connecting the dots from Greenbelt to Growth Plan
all inclusive
How and Why Landscape Packages Seal the Deal
PM 42011539
On the cover
A backyard sanctuary from Oakville’s Cedar Springs Landscape Group.
ohba.ca
25 Health & Safety
By Joe Vaccaro
21 Human Capital By Robert Bales
Hard lessons learned from a nightmare lawsuit
Are you wearing the proper eye protection? By Barry Racippo
Adult communities attract very patient buyers
91 Better Building Unveiling Urban Capital’s innovative Cubitat, optimizing your HVAC system, keeping a close eye on your projects and CertainTeed issues new health declarations for fibreglass insulation 103 Product Focus
By Dan O’Reilly
29 Technology
New doors and windows are masterfully blending efficiency with design
High-tech gadgets for your kitchen
110 Outside the Box
By Jane Lockhart
31 Top Shelf The latest in home builder gear
By Avi Friedman
Amsterdam builders are thinking vertically these days
ontario home builder spring 2015
7
The official publication of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association Spring 2015 | Vol. 31 Issue 2
editor
Ted McIntyre ted@laureloak.ca associate editor
Norma Kimmins, OHBA art director
Erik Mohr graphic designer
Alysha DeMarsh copy editor
Barbara Chambers contributors
Robert Bales, Jennifer Coccimiglio, Avi Friedman, Remie Geoffroi, Tracy Hanes, Marc Huminilowycz, Nicki Islic, Alison King, Jane Lockhart, Andrew Oding, Dan O’Reilly, Erica Phillips, Barry Racippo, Joe Vaccaro, Mark Wessel PHOTOGRAPHY
Rodney Daw PRESIDENT
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One Voice
Greenbelt to Growth Plan Connecting the dots through engagement and education By Joe Vaccaro with the iconic landscape paintings of the Group of Seven serving as a background at the McMichael Art Gallery in Kleinburg, the provincial government recently outlined plans for a coordinated review of land use plans in Ontario. The Feb. 27 announcement came the day before the official 10-year anniversary of the Greenbelt Plan, which protects farmland, green space and clean water and is the world’s largest permanently protected greenbelt. To mark the occasion, celebratory cake was shared, photos taken and speeches made as Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Ted McMeekin explained the province’s intention to undertake a co-ordinated review of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the Greenbelt Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and the Niagara Escarpment Plan. The review, expected to be completed by early 2016, includes an expert panel chaired by former federal cabinet minister/Toronto Mayor David Crombie. In addition to public consultations billed as “town hall meetings,” Ontarians will also be able to comment through an Environmental Registry. It should be noted that Ontarians love the Greenbelt—it has a 90% public approval rating. In calling for public input, Minister McMeekin stressed that the Greenbelt will continue to protect Ontario’s environmental priorities, while the Growth Plan will remain aligned with the economic opportunities and infrastructure decisions governments are providing. The review gives OHBA the opportunity to connect the dots between the four plans, looking at how they’ve worked together over ohba.ca
the past 10 years while refocusing the province, regions and municipalities on future community and economic development. OHBA isn’t going to fight the Greenbelt. We are going to provide industry insight into the successes and challenges of the past decade through the difficult implementation of the Growth Plan. As we move through the review process, OHBA will present evidence-based recommendations to support new housing supply and job opportunities, while protecting significant environmental features. With the support of our network of 31 local associations and our members, OHBA has many suggestions of how we can make the Growth Plan and Greenbelt work for families, while ensuring our province continues to thrive. The Ontario government is promoting investment-ready communities and the success of that initiative will be based on how we all work together to solve our infrastructure challenges and build complete and affordable communities. It’s important to understand the potential ramifications of the review. Geographically, it could directly impact 14 local HBAs, but if the review results in changes to the Planning Act, the Development Charges Act, the Brownfields Act and a long list of other provincial legislation, suddenly the geography is irrelevant and the policies impact all of Ontario. OHBA’s established advocacy approach is to educate, engage and inform, and we’re ready to participate in this review and to represent our members and industry in a positive and professional manner. OHB
“Success will be based on how we all work together.”
Joe Vaccaro is the CEO of OHBA. ontario home builder spring 2015
11
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Ontario Report
(Left) Peter Gilgan, founder and CEO of Mattamy Home, inducted into EnerQuality’s Hall of Fame, with Corey McBurney, President of EnerQuality. (Top right ) OHBA President Vince Molinaro hoists the OHBA- sponsored Ontario Green Builder of the Year award as Minto’s Alison Minato, Wells Baker, Derek Hickson and Roya Khaleeli celebrate the firm’s winning evening. (Bottom right) Winners from the 2014 EnerQuality Awards of Excellence gala held on Feb. 19th.
Power house
Minto sweeps green building honours at EQ Awards The Minto Group continues to show that it’s plugged in when it comes to environmentally friendly construction practices. The 60-year-old home building firm picked up three awards at the EnerQuality Awards Feb. 19 in Toronto, among them the coveted OHBAsponsored Ontario Green Builder of the Year award, which recognizes Minto for leading the home building industry in energy efficiency and green building this past year. The Minto Group was also awarded Energy Star for New Homes Builder of the Year in the large-volume category, and Best Green Marketing Campaign, in part for its Longbranch community on Toronto’s Lakeshore Boulevard. Two additional Energy Star for New Homes Builder of the Year awards were presented, one to Tamarack Homes in the mid-volume category, and the other to Midhaven Homes in the small/custom category. The Energy Star Champion of the Year award was presented to Al Schmidt of A&J Energy Consultants, who works with builder clients to implement turnkey processes for value-added, energy-efficient construction. Peter Gilgan, founder and CEO of Mattamy Homes was inducted into the EnerQuality Hall of Fame, which recognizes an individual who has made a lasting impact on energy efficiency and green building in the housing industry. Mattamy Homes has built more than 11,000 Energy Star qualified homes across Ontario and was one of the first builders to enroll homes in the program. ohba.ca
Other honours included the Building Innovation award, presented to Doug Tarry Homes Ltd. for the company’s Optimum Basement Wall; Evaluator of the Year, presented to Andrew Oding of Building Knowledge Canada; and Green Renovation Project of the Year, which was presented to Sloot Construction. Brookfield Residential was recognized with Enbridge’s Savings by Design Award for demonstrating building excellence and innovation through its participation in the program. Sudbury’s Dalron Construction Ltd. was honoured with the Union Gas’ Optimum Home Award for its exceptional role in market transformation and leadership in building to a higher performance standard. And EnerQuality’s Leader of the Year award went to Shannon Bertuzzi of Enbridge Gas Distribution in recognition of extraordinary advocacy and leadership driving the growth of energy efficiency and green building in Ontario over the past year. In addition, Industry Partner Awards were handed out to Union Gas, Enbridge Gas Distribution and Owens Corning Canada for their longstanding collaboration with EnerQuality and sustained engagement with builders, having helped to promote innovation and energy efficiency in the home building industry. EnerQuality also celebrated its 10th anniversary of the Energy Star for New homes program. Piloted in 2005, it is now the most successful green building program in Canada. (Read the full story on page 85.) ontario home builder spring 2015
13
Ontario Report
ON THE ICE FOR ‘OUT OF THE COLD’
Provincial Budget 2015 The upcoming Ontario Budget will outline Premier Kathleen Wynne and Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s fiscal priorities for the coming year. The budget will be tabled amid a backdrop of economic uncertainty with lower oil prices, a weaker loonie and the Bank of Canada interest rate cut. The Liberal government continues to state that it plans on eliminating the province’s $12.5 billion deficit by 2017-18 by focusing on controlling spending, better targeting the province’s investments and tackling the underground economy. Ontario’s home builders, land developers and professional renovators continue to generate economic growth and create jobs in Ontario, with CMHC forecasting 63,000 housing starts in 2015 and 60,400 housing starts in 2016. The OHBA pre-budget submission (available at ohba.ca) delivered a number of key messages and priorities to the Provincial government, including: 1. An effective tax administration system requires consumers and businesses to pay their fair share of taxes. Pressure from the underground economy continues to plague the renovation sector, where a high percentage of work is done for cash. Therefore, OHBA continues to advocate for a home renovation tax credit at both the provincial and federal levels to encourage the use of legitimate contractors and to fight the underground economy. OHBA also recommends an underground economy task force with a focus on the construction sector. 2. OHBA is encouraged by the significant infrastructure commitments made during the election campaign to invest $130 billion over the next 10 years in infrastructure. OHBA is also supportive of the two proposed dedicated transportation funds of $15 billion in the GTHA and $14 billion for the rest of Ontario. OHBA recommends that the province focus strategic investments in core infrastructure to support investment-ready communities. 14
ontario home builder spring 2015
Keeping warm was a challenge at Simcoe County HBA’s Ice Fishing tournament this year, with this fisherman rigging up an effective wind-blocking shelter.
Given an extremely cold winter in Ontario, there was no worry about ice conditions for this year’s annual ice fishing tournament hosted by the Simcoe County Home Builders’ Association. But how many would brave the bitterly cold conditions on Kempenfelt Bay to ice fish on Valentine’s Day? Turns out a record number, with over 700 participants vying for over $50,000 in donated prizes. This year’s major charity to benefit from the proceeds? Very fittingly, Barrie’s Out of the Cold program. Visit icefishingbarrie.ca for details.
Local Association Golf Events Date May 28 June 2 June TBD June 2 June 2 June 4 June 11 June 16 June 16 June 18 June 19 June 26 July TBD July 8 July 10 July 16 July 23 August 11 September 8 September 11 September 16 September 16 September 17 September 17 September 28
Association BILD Niagara Bluewater Brantford Greater Ottawa Waterloo Region Peterborough & The Kawarthas Hamilton-Halton Quinte Sudbury & District Lanark-Leeds Grey-Bruce Chatham-Kent Stratford & Area Sania-Lambton Simcoe County St. Thomas-Elgin Durham Region Waterloo Region Haliburton County BILD Hamilton-Halton Greater Ottawa Guelph & District OHBA
Contact Tiffany Kohl Lynda Busch Hugh Burgsma Fred DeCator Nicole McCallion Julie Burdett Francisca Eckstein Cindy McIntosh Brian Garrard Laura Higgs Darlene Findley Tara Hall Dave Depencier Ross Dale Kelly McCoy Sheila Hissa John Gundry Anita DeVries Julie Burdett Aggie Tose Tiffany Kohl Cindy McIntosh Nicole McCallion Stacy Cooper Sajida Jiwani
Contact Phone Number (416) 391-3446 (905) 646-6281 (519) 524-0250 (519) 755-9690 (613) 723-2926 ext. 222 (519) 884-7590 (705) 876-7604 (905) 575-3344 (613) 970-2216 (705) 671-6099 (613) 523-5656 (519) 934-3450 (519) 358-1248 (519) 271-4795 (519) 344-7422 (705) 728-5030 (519) 474-5811 (905) 579-8080 (519) 884-7590 (705) 457-6901 (416) 391-3446 (905) 575-3344 (613) 723-2926 ext. 222 (519) 836-8560 (416) 443-1545 ext. 222
CORRECTION In the annual Awards of Distinction edition of Ontario Home Builder, Safdie Architects was accidentally omitted in the credits for its involvement in Great Gulf Homes’ Monde Condos project, which claimed honours as the Most Outstanding High-Rise Building (11+ Storeys).
ohba.ca
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College Of Trades Review
Ontario Report
A review of the Ontario College of Trades, led by Tony Dean will be visiting several locations outside of Toronto as part of the review panel’s outreach. Tentative dates/locations are: April 9 – Kingston April 10 – Ottawa April 13 – Hamilton April 14 – London April 15 – Sarnia April 21 – Thunder Bay April 23 – Sudbury Week of April 27 Toronto (North and Downtown) According to the terms of reference, the review is expected to take a year, with a final report submitted to the Minister no later than October 2015. For further information, contact Stephen Hamilton, OHBA’s Manager of Government Relations at shamilton@ohba.ca or 1.800.387.0109 ext. 228.
DEER in the headlights It’s never too early to start planning for OHBA’s Awards of Distinction. This year’s gala event will take place during the OHBA Annual Conference set for Sept. 27-29 at the beautiful Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville. Considered Muskoka’s “most complete retreat,” the resort is home to 36 holes of golf, including one of Ontario’s best courses, Deerhurst Highlands. The deadline for awards submissions opens May 11 and closes June 24.
Local Association Events Date Event March 13-22 National Home Show March 20 Build Brantford Industry Luncheon March 27 Waterloo-Region Industry Luncheon March 27-29 STEHBA Home Show March 27-29 Stratford Spring Home Show March 27-29 Home & Lifestyle Show April 8-10 OHBA Mid-Rise Wood-Frame Tour April 9 Hall of Fame & AGM Luncheon April 16 Awards of Excellence April 20 OHBA Industry Leaders’ Dinner April 24 Annual BILD Awards April 24-25 SABA Parade of Homes April 25-26 Home and Cottage Expo April 30 GDHBA Industry Luncheon May 1 -3 Home and Cottage Show May 7 Awards of Distinction May 14 President’s Industry Dinner May 22 ACE Awards May 23-24 Annual Parade of Homes June TBD Habitat - Women Build June 11 Builder Baseball Charity Tournament June 17 SABA Awards of Distinction Gala July 8 Charity BBQ & Race for Humanity September 5 SAM Awards September 27-29 OHBA Annual Conference (Deerhurst) October TBD Member Achievement Awards October TBD Awards of Excellence October TBD New Homes and Reno Expo October 1-4 Fall Home Show October 2 SABA Industry Luncheon October 3 Housing Design Awards Gala October 8 Awards of Creative Excellence October 15 2016 Economic & Housing Outlook Breakfast October 23 Residential Awards of Excellence October 29 SAM Awards of Distinction November 13 Party for Humanity
Association BILD Brantford Waterloo Region St. Thomas-Elgin Stratford & Area Quinte OHBA Hamilton-Halton Durham Region OHBA BILD Stratford & Area Grey-Bruce Guelph & District Bluewater Hamilton-Halton London Simcoe County Brantford Niagara BILD Stratford & Area BILD Greater Ottawa OHBA Lanark Leeds HBA Niagara HBA Chatham-Kent BILD Stratford & Area Greater Ottawa London BILD Sudbury & District Waterloo Region BILD
Contact Tiffany Kohl Fred DeCator Julie Burdett John Gundry Ross Dale Brian Garrard Pauline Lip Cindy McIntosh Anita DeVries Kathryn Segal Tiffany Kohl Ross Dale Tara Hall Stacy Cooper Hugh Burgsma Cindy McIntosh Lois Langdon Sheila Hissa Fred DeCator Lynda Busch Tiffany Kohl Ross Dale Tiffany Kohl Nicole McCallion Kathryn Segal Darlene Findley Lynda Busch Dave Depencier Tiffany Kohl Ross Dale Nicole McCallion Lois Langdon Tiffany Kohl Laura Higgs Julie Burdett Tiffany Kohl
Contact Phone Number (416) 391-3446 (519) 755-9690 (519) 884-7590 (519) 474-5811 (519) 271-4795 (613) 970-2216 (416) 443-1545 ext. 226 (905) 575-3344 (905) 579-8080 (416) 443-1545 ext. 223 (416) 391-3446 (519) 271-4795 (519) 934-3450 (519)836-8560 (519) 534-0250 (905) 575-3344 (519) 686-0343 (705) 728-5030 (519) 755-9690 (905) 646-6281 (416) 391-3446 (519) 271-4795 (416) 391-3446 (613) 723-2926 ext. 222 (416) 443-1545 ext. 223 (613) 523-5656 (905) 646-6281 (519) 358-1248 (416) 391-3446 (519) 271-4795 (613) 723-2926 ext. 222 (519) 686-0343 (416) 391-3446 (705) 671-6099 (519) 884-7590 (416) 391-3446
For a complete list of association events visit OHBA.ca. ohba.ca
ontario home builder spring 2015
17
Ontario Report Amanda Wilson Watkins, V.P. of Marketing and Sales, and Brent Strachan, Senior V.P., celebrated a trio of golds for Minto Communities at the NAHB 2015 National Sales and Marketing Awards in Las Vegas.
Montana, Minto reign in Vegas OHBA members cash in with 46 awards What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. OHBA members cashed in big time during the National Association of Home Builders’ 2015 National Sales and Marketing Awards, claiming a total of 11 golds and 35 silvers. Leading the parade back across the border was Montana Steel Strategic Marketing. The North York company needed extra luggage to haul back their remarkable six gold and 14 silver awards, including three wins with Minto Communities (Best Advertising Campaign for Yorkville Park; and Best Digital Marketing and Best Marketing of a Green/Sustainable Program for the Longbranch project); two golds for Lanterra Developments (Best ComputerGenerated Sales Tools for 11 Wellesley, and Attached Community of the Year/High-Rise for Teahouse at 501 Yonge); and one win for Menkes Developments (Best Colour or B&W Print Ad for Harbour Plaza. Minto added a dozen silvers to its haul, pairing up for four with each of Montana Steel and PM Design & Marketing, while Lanterra and Montana Steel teamed up for an additional five runner-up finishes. Other OHBA members to take home top honours were: Sales Team of the Year: Beacon Condos by In2ition Realty Best Brochure for High-Rise Community: The Kip District: One: by Concert Properties
(Ad Agency: 52 Pick-up Inc.) Best Presentation Centre: The Kip District: One by Concert Properties (Designer:
UNION31) Best Architectural Design of an Attached Community High-Rise: Dundas Square
Gardens by Easton’s Group (Architect: IBI Group (Page + Steele) Master Planned Community of the Year: The Kip District: One by Concert Properties (ad
Agency: 52 Pick-up Inc.) To view all the 2015 NAHB winners. visit Thenationals.com. 18
ontario home builder spring 2015
Burlington talks wood On Jan. 13, the City of Burlington held its first-ever forum on midrise, wood-frame construction since the Ontario government amended the Building Code to allow six-storey wood buildings in the province—the changes of which came into effect Jan. 1. “As part of our ongoing collaboration with the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA), we decided the next logical step was to bring all the stakeholders together to have an open discussion about the opportunities and challenges this innovative building practice brings to the community,” said Jason Schmidt-Shoukri, Chief Building Official and Manager of Building Permit and Inspection Services for the City of Burlington. “As a city that is focusing on intensification, sustainability and affordability, six-storey wood could be a viable building option that supports growth in the community and complements future city building plans for Burlington.” Members of the building industry on hand included the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Tarion Warranty Corporation, Hamilton-Halton Home Builders’ Association, BILD, RESCON, the Ontario Building Officials’ Association and the Canadian Wood Council. “This is about building consumer confidence. By bringing everyone together— the Chief Building Official, engineers, architects, suppliers, builders and the Tarion Warranty Program—and collaborating to deliver six-storey wood buildings to Ontario, consumers can feel confident that this is a safe and sustainable choice for new-home buyers,” said OHBA CEO Joe Vaccaro. ohba.ca
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Human Capital
Legal Loophole Builder thought he’d dotted all the i’s, but then... By robert bales “Whatever you design, I won’t like
it.” With that comment from the buyers, things were off to a bad start to a $2-million custom home for a pair of first-timers who wanted to build a home with an in-law suite, backstopped by Daddy. Unfortunately, Daddy died before completion, but things weren’t too bad for the builder until the job was finished. Certainly money was not the problem. The project was a design-build, including the land, which was located in a small development north of the GTA. The builder started with a base price for a detailed design, but no specifications, offering the buyers one of two options: either a total fixed price after negotiations on changes and finishes, or a cost-plus approach—the base price plus all finishes and changes at cost—with a management fee on top. The buyers opted for a modified cost-plus, and away they went. With a long family history in home building and personally boasting many years of experience in design and project management, the builder scrupulously detailed everything, confirmed telephone conversations in writing and kept an impeccable site log—in effect, a commercial level of project management. The buyers were more absent than difficult, frequently too busy to visit the site to review over 100 change orders, even though they had signed them all. The builder had a perfect Tarion record, and he had no problems with the 30-day inspection. And then the owners submitted almost 1,000 Tarion First-Year Warranty claims. It took a five-person Tarion inspection team almost a week to complete the conciliation review. A year later, there were 50 more items at the Second-Year Warranty ohba.ca
Review. The builder fixed everything that Tarion requested. A month later, the owners sued him, claiming they had paid almost $100,000 too much for the project. How can this happen in a cost-plus scenario, when all the change orders from the base design drawings were signed off by the owners? In a situation where the job is finished, paid in full and Tarion items are rectified, where can a lawsuit come from? A cost report from a reputable quantity survey firm hired by the owners found that the invoiced costs as submitted by the builder did not fit with their material takeoffs. This, however, was based on the original design drawings! So who would be surprised when they didn’t take into account any of the subsequent change orders? And the answer? The system allows an owner to sue a homebuilder for whatever and, in theory, it will all get worked out through the claim, defence, reply, discov-
eries, motions for this and that, mediation and trial. And if anything isn’t right, there’s always an appeal. This is fair? As this is a family magazine, all I can say is: “Horsefeathers!” This builder will never again carry out a project without including in his contract a term that controls the litigation risk— specifying a mediator and arbitrator up front, imposing a duty on the arbitrator to control the scope, cost and duration of any disputes that may happen, and providing for no appeals. It was too late for this project, though. Over three years, the builder stopped working and turned all of his attention backwards into a job that he had believed was long finished—doing an intensive review of all the project files, examining his take-offs and estimates, preparing document books, attending meetings with his lawyer, spending several days in discoveries, and spending over $30,000 in ontario home builder spring 2015
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legal fees and other costs. After a frustrating mediation, with a slam-dunk of a case but facing at least two more years and a two-week trial, the builder walked away just to end the misery and re-focus on future business. He settled by paying half of what the owners were suing for—almost covering their legal costs—and leaving him to eat about $80,000, not to mention years of his time. Now a year down the road, settlement documents and releases have been signed and the owners are as happy as they will ever be. What about the builder? He’s damn good at what he does, but there are forces at play against him that combine to cut off his focus, his creativity and his competence. We can point our fingers and cry, “Evil lawyers!” all we like, but a lawyer’s duty to his or her own client is “to raise fearlessly every issue, advance every argument…, however distasteful, which the lawyer thinks will help the client’s case…” 1 Accept it—the owner’s lawyer is simply not there to give you a helping hand! Beyond the legal process, there are many other constraints, limitations and rules, some self-imposed by the home building industry itself, that govern— and limit—the creativity and resourcefulness of builders within the ‘system’ that is, after all, ours to build or to change. It doesn’t help that there seem to be an unlimited number of agencies, departments, commissions, authorities, councils and boards to administer an esoteric array of regulations—and a bunch more that don’t seem to be in writing—that impact builders, many of which hit the smaller builders the hardest. Last but not least, our builder had to face just one more test: the owners made a seven-year structural claim to Tarion. Fortunately, Tarion rejected the claim. Perhaps now, six years after occupancy, the builder’s odyssey is over. The lesson? In your contract, control the litigation risk, and save both your company and your sanity. 1 Commentary, Rule 4.01, Law Society of Upper Canada, Rules of Professional Conduct Robert Bales, P.Eng., PMP, LL.B., is
an arbitrator and mediator with Robert Bales & Associates (adjudicate.ca).
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Servicing the building industry since 1967, commit ted to your success
Safety speaks many languages. Working at Heights training is now
available in 10 more languages Working at heights training is mandatory in Ontario for anyone who is exposed to fall hazards during the course of their work. To make this training available to all workers, IHSA is now offering its Working at Heights course in 10 additional languages (Cantonese, Croatian, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, and Turkish). IHSA’s one-day course addresses the basic fall prevention information that workers need to know to work safely in areas where they may be exposed to fall hazards. Upon completion, participants will be able to recognize common fall hazards, will know how to use various types of equipment to control those hazards, and will understand the laws and regulations related to working at heights.
Get effective Working at Heights training in the language that is best understood by your workers. For dates or more information, call 1-800-263-5024 or visit ihsa.ca Program Fees $100 per participant for IHSA members.
health & safety
The Eyes Have It! Visionary thinking about jobsite protection By Jennifer Coccimiglio Most people are petrified of damaging their eyesight. Yet every day there are Ontario construction site workers who do just that—working without eye protection, despite the hazards that surround them. If something like a nail or a wire gets stuck in your eye while you’re working, Ontario’s prevention system considers that a struck-by injury—a term used to describe the various injuries that occur when workers are hit by tools, materials, equipment or vehicles. The eyes are one of the most common body parts to be affected when someone suffers a struck-by injury. Between 2002 and 2012, almost 2,700 Ontario construction workers were injured when something hit them in the eye. In virtually every case, these injuries could have been prevented had the workers been wearing proper eye protection. Part of the problem is that the current legislation does not make eye protection mandatory on jobsites. It’s required in certain circumstances where there are hazards present, however, the reality is that those hazards are often not confined to a specific area. As workers, equipment and materials move around the jobsite, so do the eye hazards—some of the most common offenders being: dust and grit; flying debris (wood, stone or concrete chips); sparks and slag from welding and cutting; abrasives from sandblasting; chemical splash; pipes and wires sticking out of walls; ties and wires hanging from ceilings; the sun, which can cause UV damage; and the wind, which can dry eyes out and carry dust and grit. Whether it’s a physical object that strikes your eye, or a biological or chemical hazard that causes the damage, it’s clear that wearing eye protection at all times is a good ohba.ca
idea, which is why many companies and jobsites have already made eye protection mandatory as part of their commitment to employee health and well-being. Wearing the right kind of protection can prevent most eye injuries. Safety glasses with side-shields are considered the basic standard for construction site protection, but it’s important to match the type of protection to the specific hazard. For example, goggles that protect your eyes from dust and other physical hazards may not protect your eyes from radiation or a chemical splash. All safety glasses and goggles should be CSA approved, which means you should see the CSA logo on the frames. Further, in order to protect you the way they are designed to, your safety glasses should fit securely. If you’re a welder, your safety glasses should also have a shade number marked on them. Always keep your safety glasses on, even when you remove other personal
protective equipment such as a welding helmet or faceshield. When you raise your visor or shield, you may still be exposed to flying chips, dust or other hazards. If you already wear regular glasses or contact lenses to correct your eyesight, you should wear prescription safety glasses on site. That said, it’s best to avoid wearing contact lenses, if that option is available, since dust and other particles can get under the lens and irritate your eyes. Also remember to replace your prescription safety glasses if they are scratched or damaged or if your eyeglass prescription has changed. Consider ma k ing eye protect ion mandatory on your jobsite. And make it your next safety talk! Jennifer Coccimiglio handles
Media Relations and Communications with the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association, one of four health and safety associations in Ontario. ontario home builder spring 2015
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marketing
Time on Their Hands Adult lifestyle communities attract patient buyers By barry racippo With plenty of adult lifestyle or multi-
generational communities to choose from, deciding one’s final home purchase is a daunting task. From a sales perspective, it’s important to think of these clients as patient buyers. Whether motivated to stay close to their present surroundings or relocate to other cities or towns, the 55+ age group buyer is extremely conversant and intelligent in all aspects of a home purchase, thanks to previous experience. Whether still employed, semi-retired or retired, they will devote a tremendous amount of time to research communities that suit their specific lifestyle, and they are not in a rush to purchase. Since these are far from impulse buyers, catering to this group requires a different approach. Assuming the clients like what they see, staff should be prepared for numerous visits to the community before they sign on the dotted line. For this reason the need to follow up with past visitors is a necessity, and that follow-up should be consistent, unobtrusive and informative through updating and including the progress and activities in the community. The idea of moving to a lifestyle community—often from freehold single-family homes or condominiums in urban centres— can be difficult for many. The sales team must be well trained in their presentation to discuss every aspect of the community and be prepared to illustrate all the benefits of community living. A complete tour of the project, whether in the early or late stages of development, should highlight all the amenities, while also stressing a sense of community. This helps with the exchange of information and gains the confidence of the buyer. In maintenance-free communities, whether condo or land lease, all details ohba.ca
need to be explained during the presentation on site, while supplying customers with an information package to review at their leisure after they return home. Many are seeking locations close to grown children, grandchildren, other family members or friends; or perhaps they previously lived in a small-town environment or are attracted by a summer vacation area where they spent time in their youth or on family vacations. The appeal is the relaxed atmosphere that smaller towns or country settings provide from the faster-paced workplace and urban centre traffic. Hospital locations and walk-in medical facilities in the area are very important to this age bracket, so research made into providing a list of doctors or professionals accepting new patients can be of great value. Although downsizing plays a role in the relocation decision in terms of both home size and price point, most of these purchasers still require a high level of home finish-
ings and a wide selection of upgrades and floor plan customizing. Many of those downsizers will be arriving in a position of strong home equity, having moved to areas of lesser price due to location. So if the product and pricing is well matched, the buyer is usually prepared to downsize their overall floor plan while upgrading finishes and still being able to put money in the bank and be mortgage-free. This, along with the carefree aspects of many retirement communities, provides for a relaxed and maintenance-free environment, as well as the time to devote to short- or long-term vacations. Satisfied customers—whether they purchase or not—are critical, for nowhere is word of mouth a more valuable marketing tool than these types of communities, be they from current residents or friends and family who have visited in the past. OHB barry racippo is the president of Salesfacts Marketing Corporation in Richmond Hill. ontario home builder spring 2015
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technology
A Recipe for Success Cooking up new tech applications in the kitchen By jane lockhart Before we are able to grasp the latest
gadget or app that is guaranteed to make our lives easier, technology has already changed. That fast-paced evolution is not just making its presence felt on our laptops, smartphones and tablets, but our homes as well—even in the kitchen. It is has been predicted that the home automation industry will grow to a baffling $14 billion in worldwide revenues by 2018. At the moment, cable and security companies drive this industry, but we are seeing this shift to a wider and more diverse range of companies interested in selling us new technology for all areas of the home. Home automation involves the fully connected home. Also referred to as the ‘internet of things,’ this technology connects all devices together by putting them on a Wi-Fi network and allowing them to communicate with each other. Arguably its most successful application has been in the kitchen. Future design trends continue to see the kitchen as the centre of the home. This means kitchen design and layout will evolve to more specific zones, allowing for a wide range of activities, including separated spaces for cooking, entertaining, working and eating. Connectivity lends itself to this new trend by allowing users to integrate technology into their lives in a completely organic and useful way. Not only are kitchen appliances now customized and environmentally efficient, they’re much smarter than ever before. Both GE and LG have introduced appliances, including a fridge, stove, washer and dryer, that can be remotely controlled, with users able to monitor energy rates and consumption of these products with simple programs on their smartphone. ohba.ca
Products like Dupont’s new Corian countertops with seamlessly embedded wireless cell chargers are making kitchens high-tech environments.
We are also seeing companies with experience in technology move into the kitchen market. Belkin, a tech company specializing in smartphone compatibility, now manufactures a crockpot that can be controlled by a smartphone—from simply turning it on to seeing when your meals will be ready. Another trend is appliances capable of multi-tasking, which allows consumers to customize and decide exactly which appliance and function they require to suit their lifestyle. For instance, luxury brand Bugatti has created a toaster that is capable of doing everything from toasting bread to defrosting and cooking a nice steak dinner. Even countertops are becoming high-tech, with Dupont’s Corian model seamlessly embedding wireless cell chargers. IKEA has also picked up on the trend with its Home Smart furniture brand. We are even seeing 3D food printers, the most notable example being the ‘Foodini.’ Recently launched on Kickstarter, an internet-based investment website, its premise is to use healthy all-natural
ingredients to create capsules, which will be stored for later use. While it won’t likely become a regular kitchen appliance anytime soon, it does give us a sneak peek into the future. The application of technology in the home will clearly continue to grow and reach more homeowners. Beyond the kitchen, such automation includes programmable lighting systems and shades, reducing energy consumption and providing homeowners with a huge range of room atmospheres. In addition, wall receptacles with a USB port are more commonplace as consumers become familiar with simple and helpful elements of technology available to them. This kind of technological growth is a wonderful addition to the home building industry, and it’s not surprising that the kitchen, as the heart of the home, is where so much of this growth is taking place. Jane Lockhart (B.A.A.I.D, intern ARIDO) is the Principal Designer at Jane Lockhart Interior Design in Toronto. ontario home builder spring 2015
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Top shelf Ideas for Builders & Renovators
Going with the grain Fypon’s new line of Classic Woodgrain decorative millwork and moulding pieces are made of durable polyurethane. Featuring a woodgrain texture suitable for either staining or painting, the more than two dozen new pieces include a variety of crown, casing, baseboard and apron mouldings, plus crossheads, plinth blocks and a closed-ended beam. Moisture- and insect-proof, they also resist rotting, warping, cracking and peeling. fypon.com
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Top shelf
Insulation with flex appeal Isolofoam Group’s innovative iFLEXFOAM is an under-slab insulation panel that integrates the company’s patented clipping system for faster, economical and more secure insulation than using traditional panels. Flexible and resistant to breakage, panels are clipped together, preventing movement during installation. The product is offered in 110 kPa (16psi), 140 (20psi) or 210 kPa (30 psi), R5, R7.5 and R10. isolofoam.com/english/iflexfoam
Classic rock A Shouldice Designer Stone bestseller, Estate Stone has a pronounced surface that reflects an attractive natural stone appearance, while evoking a sense of classic style and luxury that makes a bold statement and adds intrinsic value to virtually any project. shouldice.ca
turn on your heart light An eye-catching design of solid brass in a polished nickel finish, complemented by two linen shades, Corbett Lighting’s Heart Throb two-light sconce measures 12.5” wide x 25.25” high. Corbettlighting.com 32
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an outdoor sump system From Stratford’s R&D Development Group comes the Outdoor Sump (OSS). In the waterproofing business for 10 years, R&D asks: “Why bring water into your homes and then pump it back out?” With the OSS, all weeping tile water stays on the outside of a foundation wall, which allows the exterior sump pump to pump the water to a surface or storm drain. Made in Canada with heavy-duty HDPE material and stainless steel hardware, the OSS is easily installed. rndgroup.ca ohba.ca
Introducing the new
Home Builder Product Series When your home designs are built with Napoleon products, you can count on satisfying your home buyers with warmth and comfort for years of reliable performance. Our quality built fireplaces and gas furnaces are also backed by industry leading warranties. Napoleon is the #1 preferred fireplace and high efficiency HVAC brand for builders throughout Ontario. Canadian made products for Canadian built homes. Visit our website or call for more information www.napoleonproducts.com/ontariohomebuilder
Call Melissa at 1.800.461.5581 x315
Top shelf
start with a clean slate Grey was the fastest growing kitchen colour in 2014 and GE’s Slate premium finish fits the trend. Inspired by the rich texture and appearance of stone, Slate has a deep, warm and sophisticated look. The low-gloss metallic finish is fingerprint-resistant and great for open-concept home designs, since it seamlessly blends from the kitchen to the rest of the home. This second expansion of the Slate series includes built-in products such as wall ovens (pictured), slide-in ranges and cooktops. geappliances.com
TIDY victory Victoria + Albert’s Premium Collection of tubs and basins features the Elwick Bath, a generous, doubleended, freestanding tub with a pedestal base for a clean floor finish. Here it’s accompanied by the Staffordshire 12 traditional bath faucet and shower attachment with freestanding bath standpipes (available in brushed nickel, polished nickel or polished chrome). Vandabaths.com
bathrooms get edgier Zurich-based designer Kurt Merki Jr. was enlisted to enhance Duravit’s popular Vero ceramics series with a new selection of refined, versatile bathroom furniture. Special features include LED lighting, Bluetooth integration, front-facing towel racks and six finishes for a timelessly elegant aesthetic. The sleek consoles and cabinets showcase Vero’s signature rectangular shape, and the huge range of configurations allows users to customize to fit their needs. duravit.com
out and a boot Blundstone is showing its fashionable side with the introduction of four new models. Complementing its renowned comfort and durability, the bold new colours and designs include Burgundy Rub and new combinations of two-tone styles like the Green and Brown Two-Tone Sole (pictured), Brogue in Black or Black with Two-Tone Sole. Blundstone.ca 34
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ohba.ca
Enhancing the beauty of your home with our CarriageCraft garage door is so easy, anyone can do it. But only you have to know. From the perfect lines to the impeccable styling, your neighbours will think you had it flown in from Oxfordshire, not Ontario. Every door has its own personality. Design the one that matches yours at steel-craft.ca
THE DOOR WITH MORE.
Top shelf
Walk the plank! Carlisle Wide Plank Floors’ Carlisle Collections feature more competitive pricing and 2- to 4-week delivery for most of its 12 new wood-flooring lines. Offering the widest, longest, centre-cut planks in the industry, the Carlisle Collections include 11-ply engineered and solid wood floors up to 10’’ wide and 12’ in length. The prefinished Lakehouse Collection (pictured) is made from 9’’-wide Heart Pine featuring alluring grain lines and beautiful knots in six fresh hues. Trade members receive 10% off retail pricing. wideplankflooring.com/collections
Stop fires before they start The new Leviton SmartlockPro Outlet Branch Circuit (OBC) AFCI offers added protection from potentially hazardous arc-faults resulting from damage in branch circuit wiring as well as extensions to branches, such as appliances and cord sets. By detecting hazardous arc-faults and responding by interrupting power, it reduces the likelihood of the home’s electrical system being an ignition source of a fire. Leviton.com
When is black granite green? Ontario Black Granite, shown here in a thin veneer in a square-cut pattern, is an example of the environmentally friendly products from Huntsville-based Algonquin Natural Stone, whose low carbon footprint offers builders a more environmentally friendly option than using imported stone, or manmade/ cultured stone, which requires cement, quarried gravel and sand and often chemical dyes. Algonquinnaturalstone.com 36
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Deliver a clear message Savaria adds convenience and an elegant modern appearance to its home elevator lineup with new automatic glass slim doors. Measuring 1/2” thick, the laminated glass doors complement the design of any home. savaria.com
This ONE will blow you away This month DeWalt launches its first battery-powered Outdoor Power Tools, including two cordless brushless blowers that run on DeWalt’s 40V MAX Lithium Ion battery platform with Extreme Runtime (XR). The blowers, which come with 4.0Ah battery (or a 6.0Ah battery for 50% more capacity), are “Gas Performance Guaranteed,” but without the need for gas, meaning little maintenance is required. dewalt.com/outdoor
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An insulation innovation that’s a breath of fresh air Now you can get industry-leading DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap combined with a blanket of insulation. The result is a weather barrier that helps protect the home from air and water and delivers an R-5 insulation value. And because Tyvek® ThermaWrapTM R5.0 is breathable, it allows any moisture that may get inside the wall to dry and escape to the outside, helping to prevent accumulation of water in the wall and reducing the chance for water damage and mold. TM
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INTRODUCING DUPONT TYVEK THERMAWRAP R5.0 ™
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ontario home builder spring 2015
ohba.ca
Growing
Trend Landscaping packages can be hard to resist for homebuyers By Erica Phillips
Homeowners are increasingly seeking outdoor living spaces to enjoy—rain or shine—such as this Cedar Springs design. ohba.ca
It can take a new subdivision several months to look inviting after it has been occupied. Most new homeowners are focused on getting oriented, arranging utilities, making sure children are settled in school and ensuring their interiors feel like home. As such, landscaping can take a back seat to the other list of priorities, leaving the neighbourhood looking incomplete for a while. In addition, homeowners often don’t know where to start. Some home builders see this concern as an opportunity to offer outdoor landscaping packages—packages that offer shortterm and long-term benefits for the homeowners, neighbours and builders alike. James Bazely, president of Gregor Homes in Barrie, is one such company distinguishing itself from some of its competition. “We started offering basic front entrances with planter beds about 20 years ago—really basic stuff with plain Holland Stone and 6” x 6” timbers,” says Bazely, whose packages can can range from a simple $3,000 front entrance to a $100,000 complete yard with soft and hard landscaping. ontario home builder spring 2015
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Gregor Homes tries to customize each project to suit the budget and wants of the homeowner. “Subdivision houses tend to look the same and we can individualize them with unique landscaping projects,” Bazely admits. “My background and education was landscaping, so it made good sense to me to offer it as part of the house deal to make the home turnkey.” Whereas there are traditionally few opportunities for a builder to showcase their community once a homeowner has taken possession, landscaping packages present added marketing benefits, notes Amanda Ponce, operations manager with Devonleigh Homes, an Orangevillebased builder that has been offering the upgrade since the company’s inception in 1996. “We include a landscaping package because not only do we pride ourselves on building quality homes, but also on creating beautiful communities,” says Ponce, who offers the package with every level of home that Devonleigh builds. “It is not an upsell for us, however—it is an included feature that sets us apart from other new home builders.” The timing of such projects, of course, is critical. Adrian Bartels advises waiting about a year from the date of backfill of the foundation for the soil to settle before moving forward. His company, Cedar Springs Landscape Group in Oakville, which claimed 13 awards at the 2015 Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence ceremony,
“New-home owners love the option of having (landscaping) included in their mortgage,” notes Gregor Homes’ James Bazely.
A fan of natural products, Parkscape is also using Kebony, an inexpensive, sustainable and durable product with tropical wood-like performance.
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“It’s best to get the ball rolling on permits, designs and details during the early stages of construction.” Design trends
BY THE NUMBERS SOURCE: The Garden Media Group’s 2015 Garden Trends Report
$220 B
The worldwide gardening and outdoor living industry worth
$58 B
The North American gardening and outdoor living industry worth
3.5%
The expected annual increase of the worldwide gardening and outdoor living market
SOURCE: Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association
15%20%
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Percentage of the total value of a new house represented by landscaping, including fencing, paving, sodding, plants, etc.
has dealt with a handful of builders during its 20 years in business. Fernando Marques, a project manager with Toronto-based Parkscape, which has been working with builders since it opened in 2010, says, “It’s best to get the ball rolling on permits, designs and details during the early stages of construction or pre-construction, so that the house design and lot grading can be planned in advance. That will allow for seamless coordination between the house structure and the landscape.” Gregor Homes, meanwhile, does the landscaping to coincide with homeowners’ occupancy. People enjoy the fact that they can start entertaining their friends and family soon after they move in. The landscaping packages “allow people to move in on Friday and host a BBQ party for their friends on their poolside patio on Saturday,” Bazely says.
While builders can bank on the fact that new-home buyers will focus on aesthetics for the front of their home, and entertaining in the back, trends have continued to change, says Bazely, whose early clients chose square, plain walkways, then moved to funky curved paths, and now have even included wheelchair ramps that don’t look like accessible walkways. There has also been a ‘ramping up’ of backyards as an extension of family rooms and even kitchens, with such details as patterned stone, multi-tiered seating areas, custom lighting fixtures, barbecues built into stone walls, pillars, fountains and statues, in addition to elaborate plantings with boulders, pebbles and a mix of materials. And while the traditional BBQ used to suffice for backyard cooking, “outdoor kitchens are becoming increasingly allinclusive, with grills, side burners, refrigerators, trash drawers, warming drawers, etc.,” says Bartels. “Over the past 10 years, there has been an increasing trend towards extending the home out into the yard. This idea is seen in furniture choices and accessories, but also in attitude. During the spring, summer and fall, consumers are unwilling to stay inside on account of rain, cold, heat, etc.; rather, they are looking for ways to remedy these things with cabanas and pavilions, fireplaces and outdoor heaters, pools, hot tubs, etc.” “Health-conscious young couples seem to be the ones setting the trend,” says ontario home builder spring 2015
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Marques of Parkscape. “We have become more educated about what gives us a healthier lifestyle, and younger people are interested in having this reflected in their outdoor spaces.” “In our crazy, fast-paced lifestyles, we work hard and then when we get home we want to relax and play hard,” adds Bartels. “When the weather is nice, this is best accomplished outside.” While many have foregone cottage life in favour of their new homes, they still yearn for that cottage-like feel, suggests James Zink, a project manager and senior landscape designer at Parkscape. And new materials are making it easier to replicate life in the near north. “Natural stone and plants are a staple in all landscape designs,” says Zink. “A new product we are frequently using is Kebony (a highly durable, sustainable wood with the aesthetics and performance of the best tropical hardwood). Similar to IPE, it provides a dock-like feeling for the homeowner. However, it is less expensive, durable, easier to work with and is readily available to builders.” With more products and materials becoming available, the range of options is opening up for homebuyers, who are increasing opting for low-maintenance products. “For that reason composite wood products often take over from real wood, as they require little upkeep,” says Bartels. “Natural stone remains popular if budgets can afford, it as it requires no more maintenance than precast stone but has a timeless feel to it.”
Customizing Just as each family is different, so is each project. Homebuyers can choose from retaining walls, pools, fences, gazebos, ponds, trees and shrubs, among many other options. Included with every Devonleigh purchase is the front walkway, a decorative rock, and a flowerbed of perennials and shrubs with a layer of mulch and a small tree. “It is a finishing detail of every Devonleigh home,” Ponce notes. Devonleigh uses Whispering Pines Landscaping out of Orangeville to prepare the design, supply and install all of its landscaping. That expertise helps avoid a common mistake many homeowners make with their initial lawn and garden work. “Our packages are designed in such a way that different plants are flowering at different times throughout the season, there 42
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Gregor Homes’ Outdoor Living Landscape division makes it easier for the company to complete landscaping to coincide with homeowner occupancy.
fore preventing them from looking overgrown and overcrowded,” Ponce explains. For many clients, especially in city environments, privacy can be a factor, notes Bartels, whose company has been designing and building more outdoor rooms, enabling homeowners to enjoy the space in inclement weather. “This allows them the convenience of leaving their cushions outdoors in the event of rain,” he says. “These structures are often complete with firepits or fireplaces, TVs, audio systems, lights, fans and so on.” People shouldn’t just focus on how the space looks during the day, Parkscape’s Zink likes to stress to new home purchasers. Backyard landscaping packages can engage many senses to induce that special, calming experience. “People should consider including water features for sound ambience and proper landscape lighting to continue enjoying their space after dark.”
“People should consider including water features for sound ambience and proper landscape lighting.”
Benefit of convenience Getting such work completed by or through a builder at the time of construction makes sense for homebuyers from multiple perspectives. ohba.ca
Beyond aesthetics, water features can also have a calming effect for new-home owners.
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“They love the option of having it included in their mortgage, and once they move in, all construction and related mess is over,” notes Gregor Homes’ Bazely, whose company includes the landscaping in its warranty. “Even though it is presented as a side offer, we like to include it in the APS so we can prep the area to be landscaped when we backfill the house.” Scheduling is also easier than having homebuyers contract out the job since Gregor Homes Ltd. has its own fully staffed division to handle the project—Outdoor Living Landscapes, which was established in 1997. “We try to advise as to plantings so the plants grow into the landscape as opposed to the plants outgrowing the landscape,” Bazely adds. Attractive streetscapes are also alluring for new and potential homeowners. Wellmaintained streets bathed in greenery are welcoming and add to a sense of pride while enhancing the neighbourhood’s character. “Tree-lined streets are a great start, but the addition of flowers, shrubs, small trees, evergreens and perennials creates the real beauty,” Devonleigh notes on its website, “and that’s why Devonleigh Homes gives each new home its own distinctive landscape appeal. Combined with our colourful home exteriors, our landscaping expertise results in neighbourhoods which are instantly recognizable for their warmth, beauty and charm.” Fully-landscaped homes don’t just benefit the individual homeowner in terms of entertainment, enjoyment and relaxation; they help protect and increase the value of the homes in the neighbourhood, says Bartels. “Professional landscaping positively affects values on any street. If a builder includes landscaping with the house, the home will have curb appeal immediately, thus raising the bar in the subdivision and increasing home values as well. If a majority of the street gets landscaping done, this trend continues.” Having made the largest investment of their lives, new home owners are eagerly anticipating the gleaming new finishing touches on their prized possession. Adding an immaculate landscaping job to the mix not only makes their transition much more seamless, but helps them show off to friends, family and even passers-by that their new home is indeed something special. And that’s a seed worth planting in the minds of prospective buyers. OHB ontario home builder spring 2015
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A World of Difference From Denmark to Japan, checking out trends in global residential construction By Mark Wessel
Want to know the socio-economic status and concerns of different cultures around the world? Check out the homes they live in. Just as our varying abodes in Ontario reflect our personal styles, lifestyles and environmental needs, so too do the new condos and houses being constructed around the globe highlight the modern reality of those respective environments. And climate change is guiding many of those designs.
This Home for Life project in Denmark is designed to produce more energy than it consumes.
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In the wake of 2014, the hottest year on record, global warming is now a reality, and environmentalists are monitoring the carbon footprint of everything from individual countries down to energy output of our homes. According to UK-based analyst firm Ethical Corporation, the energy used to heat and light homes accounts for up to 40% of world energy use and 40% of all solid waste and global gas emissions. Not surprisingly, there’s growing pressure to build more energy-efficient homes in pursuit of a zero carbon footprint. The Home for Life in Copenhagen, Denmark, takes things one step further, with not only a carbon-neutral home, but a carbonnegative home. “If you look at the power meter,” observes Torben Skovbjerg Larsen, partner with Copenhagen-based AART Architects, which designed the Home for Life, “the gauge actually goes backwards because the home is feeding energy into the grid.” The 2,100 sq. ft. creation is powered by 75 sq. ft. of solar collectors, 538 sq. ft. of solar cells and a solar heat pump, resulting in an energy surplus of 9kWh/ m²/year. Materials used to build the home include timber framing above a concrete floor, an external cladding of slate-fixed battens and mosaic floor tiles made from recycled glass. The window area (vertical windows and roof windows) is equivalent to 40% of
the floor area, making the daylight area of the house twice the size of the daylight area of a conventional low-energy home. All roof windows are triple-glazed and fitted with interior decorative blinds and exterior awnings that protect effectively against the summer heat (up to 90%) and winter heat loss. And to ensure a healthy indoor climate, sensors register heat, humidity and CO2 in all rooms. Further, all roof windows have io-homecontrols, a secure, wireless electronic control system that helps ensure a comfortable indoor climate and minimal energy consumption, such as by closing window blinds at night to help minimize heat loss during the winter months. Over time, the carbon footprint laid to create the home will potentially be erased. “By our estimates, it will take about 40 years to produce the energy that was used to build the house,” says Larsen. Just as construction techniques and technology are under constant examination the world over, so too is the basic building material for new homes. While stick-frame construction is still dominant in most parts of Canada and the U.S., American blogger Peter Roberts (who has a Bachelor’s Degree in Masonry Science), predicts global warming will lead to a much greater use of concrete. In fact, Roberts believes a case can be made that ontario home builder spring 2015
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construction using concrete may actually be more efficient. “The energy required to make concrete can be viewed a number of ways. If the concrete uses recycled material (rubble, waste, fly ash, slag), then the material’s energy consumption is very low because waste material is consumed. The main energy requirement in concrete is for cement production. But cement is the smallest component in concrete.” In the past, concrete construction has been less common in North America, in part because wood is readily available here as opposed to Europe, where many of the forests are long gone. But, says Roberts, “concrete block has a much longer lifecycle than wood-frame construction. If life-cycle costs are considered, there is no comparison between wood and concrete.” Roberts says concrete construction has already become commonplace in the southern U.S. due to termites, hurricanes, re-sale value, fire safety, lower cost (compared to wood), as well as in ‘tornado alley’ areas, where there is a need for stronger buildings and ‘safe rooms.’ Florida-based Montenero Developments actually specializes in building safe solutions for tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes. The company uses a patented “machine form”
TOP: This under-plaster installation, common in European construction to house cables, is cut after the bricks have been laid, but well before wall plastering. ABOVE: Built in the “Tornado Alley” town of Moore, Oklahoma, this home features technology from Floridabased Montenero, whose steel-reinforced concrete structures keep the roof from blowing off in 350 kph winds. 46
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technology to create five-sided monolithic steel-reinforced concrete structures they say are capable of withstanding 350 kph winds. The technology is used to build everything from affordable to mid-priced homes and high-end condominium developments in high-weather-risk markets in the Southeastern U.S. and Caribbean. As an added value, the company claims to save 25% on construction time by using cast concrete modular components. To get a sense as to what the building and construction industry would look like if the market share for wood were to ever fade here in Canada, you don’t have to look any further than continental Europe, where Berlin-based Tim Skrok, owner of controLED, a home automation company, says that fewer than 1% of homes there are built using stick-frame construction. “Right now about 80% of homes are bricks and mortar with the remaining 20% either concrete block or poured concrete,” says Skrok, who works with builders not only in Berlin, but other parts of Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy and the UK. The predominance of that style of construction results in the reverse approach to wiring new homes and condos than what North American builders are accustomed to. For people like Skrok, the routing of cables and the location of keypads and control boxes must be predetermined before site construction gets underway, whereas with stick-frame homes, holes are punched through walls to run cables after the fact. Despite all of the environmental and structural benefits that proponents of concrete construction claim, there are some who still believe wood can be just as environmentally friendly, not to mention being surprising durable as well. In Norway, wood is still readily available as a construction material—so much so, that in the northern town of Stavanger, the Waterfront development (also designed by AART) consists of 128 freehold flats and a variety of communal facilities made almost entirely out of wood. But even here, everything has been built with sustainability in mind. By sourcing the wood locally and minimizing transportation costs, the use of fossil fuels and C02 emissions has been significantly reduced. As well, the facade and roofs of these buildings are covered with eco-labelled Moelven ThermoWood, a heat-treated wood (inspired by a similar process used by the
The Waterfront in Norway, with its 128 freehold flats and communal facilities, was built almost entirely of wood and covered with chemical-free ThermoWood.
Vikings), that is more durable and resistant to decay, reduces thermal conductivity and is preservative- and chemical-free. The development, which is shaped to mimic the mountains on the horizon, incorporates an Integrated Energy Design approach that uses solar power to reduce the demand for energy, and slanting roof surfaces that create optimal lighting conditions, bringing sunlight into the flats and the central community square. Whereas the Waterfront was built with the emphasis on creating a low-rise community with a larger footprint, a growing number of builders around the world are also contemplating building mid-rise and even high-rise buildings using such structural innovations as cross-laminated timber (CLT). Embracing a “go big or don’t bother to build in the first place” mindset, Australia’s first CLT structure is a ninestorey apartment building in Victoria Harbour, Melbourne, called Forté. Topping out at 32 metres in height, at the time of its completion in 2013 it was billed as the world’s tallest timber building, requiring 485 tons of wood, 759 CLT panels, 34,550 screws and 5,500 angle brackets. Interestingly, proponents of this type of CLT ohba.ca
By the numbers Identifying global housing trends Placing your finger on the pulse of the global housing market is a bit like trying to read a punch from an octopus. There are a lot of moving parts, with many countries amassing and reporting their data in different ways. That said, some reports emerged in 2014 that provide a glimpse on how the housing industry is faring when it comes to everything from new home construction to average sale prices. Surprisingly, only a handful of countries report annualized figures for housing starts, including Canada, the U.S., France, Japan and India. Last year, housing starts in Canada rang in at 189,401 compared to 187,923 in 2013. In the U.S., groundbreaking increased
8.8% to 1.01 million units in 2014, the highest since 2007. In France, the French Builder’s Federation reported 290,000 housing starts last year, compared to 331,000 in 2013 and 346,000 in 2012. And in Japan, housing starts were annualized at 903,876 homes for the month in October, 2014, up 2.7% over September, but down 12.3% compared to a year earlier. Meanwhile in the world’s largest market, China, the Global Property Guide reported a sharp slowing of “the once
booming property market,” with new housing starts down 16.4% and falling house prices in 76 of the 100 cities surveyed. Not that it had much impact on the cost of a home in Hong Kong,
with an average cost of $22,814 US per square metre. Only Monaco ($60,111) and London ($34,531) were higher. Expectedly, New York ($18,499) and Paris ($18,415) were also in the top 5. Toronto was ranked Canada’s most expensive city to own a home, coming in 14th on the list at $8,288 US per sq. metre. The dream of owning a home seems to vary quite a bit from country to country as well. For instance, only 42% of Germans choose to own a home, compared to close to 70% in Canada, 69% in the UK and a slightly lower 65% in the U.S.
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Featuring 228 condo units that surround a vibrant, soccer field-sized space of food stands and restaurants, the spectacular horseshoeshaped Markethal in Rotterdam, Netherlands is virtually a selfcontained community.
structure make a lot of the same claims as those in favour of using concrete, including ease of construction (e.g. conduits are precut), time and labour savings and a lower carbon footprint. For example, builders of the Forté project claim to have saved 1,451 tons of CO2 (the equivalent of taking 345 cards off the road for a year) during the construction process.
Packing ’em in Another global trend which in many respects overlaps with energy consumption and global warming, is an area Ontario builders are more than familiar with: intensification. According to a 2014 UN study entitled World Urbanization Prospects, 54% of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, a figure that will rise to a staggering 66% by 2050. London, England is a prime example of a major metropolis with rapidly developing intensification. With a current population of over 8 million—which is expected to increase 37% in the next 35 years—there is a need to build an additional 52,000 homes annually—all within the existing greenbelt. One trend emerging in London as a 48
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Sitting on the edge of a canal, the bow-shaped 8 House in Orestad, Denmark includes a bike path to the 10th floor.
result of this massive growth is the building of ‘microhouses,’ targeted specifically for young workers who have been priced out of the market—a market where homes sell for almost nine times the average annual wage. According to a story that appeared in the Financial Times late last year, the average microhouse flat is just 15-20 sq. metres (161-215 sq. ft.) including kitchen space. The properties range from bedrooms and studios with shared social areas through to small flats and are designed for professionals in their 20s and early 30s. Prices in most buildings range from £190-250 a week ($465-543 CDN), including all bills, WiFi and council tax. Many have communal facilities such as gyms, common rooms, gardens and private dining rooms. One company actively involved in this market, The Collective, already has 350 tenants in 20 refurbished buildings, with plans to build a 300-unit property in northwest London and a 29-storey tower in Stratford, east London. A similar philosophy is in evidence in Markethal, a residential community in Rotterdam that incorporates a spectacular horseshoe-shaped arch design whereby the outer walls of the 228 condominium homes encapsulate an indoor market consisting of 100 produce stalls, 15 food shops and eight restaurants—all housed in an area the size of a soccer field. So essentially the residents live above and around a thriving market that is an integral part of the community. In Orestad, Denmark, 8 House, a 10-storey ‘vertical neighbourhood,’ is a mecca for bike enthusiasts, with a bike path that ohba.ca
begins at ground level and takes you all the way to the 10th-floor penthouse. So you can choose to take the stairs, an elevator or ride your bike to the top. In keeping with the idea of providing more public area to offset the smaller living areas, the 8 House community includes two intimate interior courtyards and more than 5,000 sq. ft. of common facilities. The building also features a 30-foot-wide passage that allows people to easily move from the park area on its western edge to the canals to the east. “The apartments are placed at the top while the commercial program unfolds at the base of the building,” says Thomas Christoffersen, Partner in Charge, 8 House, BIG. “As a result, the different horizontal layers have achieved a quality of their own: the apartments benefit from the view, sunlight and fresh air, while ground floor commercial space merges with life on the street. This is emphasized by the shape of 8 House, which is literally hoisted up in the northeast corner and pushed down at the southwest corner, allowing light and air to enter the southern courtyard.” Whether the focus is reduced size or energy savings, the worldwide trend is to build more efficiently. To that end, the developers, builders and architects behind these projects are thinking outside the box. As a consequence, they’re getting very good at anticipating what homeowners want and need, based on a sophisticated understanding of where society is heading, where people want and need to live and how they want to live their lives. OHB
Bizarro world The ODD japanese real estate market While many home builders around the world are trying to provide for those with lower disposable incomes, in Japan they’re building homes that are literally disposable. “In a culture obsessed with newness, no one wants a ‘used’ home—which makes the Japanese real estate market almost unrecognizable to an American,” notes California-based Pacific Standard magazine.” In Japan, the average home lasts only 30 years (compared to 200 in Europe) and, according to a Nomura Research Institute report, is virtually worthless after 15 years. Whereas most Western homes are considered an investment, in Japan, there is less emphasis on quality and homes are generally poorly maintained, a practice that matches a prevailing mindset that the house will be torn down and another one erected soon enough. In fact, it often costs less to bulldoze the existing home and construct a new one than to retrofit it in order to meet constantly updated building codes (due in part to the number of earthquakes and natural disasters that plague the country). Consequently, the massively popular DIY and home reno trend in North America—with its thriving retail support system, such as Home Depot—are virtually nonexistent in Japan. And that makes Japan’s home building industry very ‘un-green.’ For not only do consumers lose the money they pour into these homes, but as the England-based Guardian points out, the real victim is the environment: “Replacing the entire housing stock within a generation means a whole lot of construction waste.” On the other hand, there’s a thriving architectural market! According to the International Union of Architects, Japan has almost 2.5 architects per 1,000 residents, roughly 11 times more than Canada’s 0.22%. ontario home builder spring 2015
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The hottest trends in home and condo building
IN & OUT By Tracy Hanes
Forget about formal living rooms, cavernous master bedrooms and cute computer lofts. Those home design features have fallen out of favour, while even greater great rooms, smart storage solutions, the ‘command centre’ kitchen and luxe laundry rooms are going over big with new home buyers. We asked a trio of experts in the know about low-rise and highrise home trends for their views on what’s hot and what’s not, including Wayne Cassidy, founder of Cassidy & Co. Architectural Technologists, an architectural firm specializing in new home design, from custom homes to large master-planned communities; Rob Nicolucci, principal of RN Design, a firm that specializes in residential housing and community design; and Jeanhy Shim, an independent real estate analyst and strategist, and head of Housing Lab Toronto, an independent housing research company. Homebuyers’ lifestyles are getting more informal, and as a result, so are the spaces they live in, say the experts. And with technology going wireless and smartphones and tablets going wireless, the spaces to work, surf the internet or watch streaming video are more fluid. Efficiency, functionality and flow are more important than ever to buyers who are becoming increasingly savvy about home design, with many of them able to read floor plans and determine whether ohba.ca
a particular layout will work for them. Nicolucci says more attention to detail is creeping in, as people are recognizing it’s best to have a home that suits how they live, not how they think they want to live. “They used to think, ‘Yes, I need a sitting room in the master bedroom suite so I can read,’ but that’s fallen away as they realize they never read in the bedroom.” More attention is being paid during the design phase as to where furniture will go —televisions included—to ensure the floor plan will function well. Even as they are getting more functional, homes—at least low-rise ones—aren’t shrinking in size, Nicolucci notes. “I still feel the trend is toward larger homes. We are seeing more large homes, but on smaller lots. The 50-foot is now a dinosaur and a 40-foot lot is now an estate lot.” Many hot ideas begin in custom homes, then filter through to the production house realm. Here’s a look at some of the current trends coveted by consumers and what’s no longer in demand. ontario home builder spring 2015
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WHAT’S IN? Even greater great rooms and kitchens: “Whether it’s our smallest entry-level product or a large custom home, it’s all about the kitchen and the great room,” says Cassidy. “A space the size of a two-car garage is what you’re trying to achieve.” The island has become the nucleus for activity—it’s the snack bar, a centre for socializing and for doing homework—so ideally it has plenty of seating. Kitchens are becoming large enough to accommodate multiple chefs and continuous traffic flow, with double sinks and ovens and walk-in pantries. “We’re informalizing eating and kitchens, and islands are getting bigger so families can hang out there,” says Nicolucci. “The informal living areas with open space are where they want to be and we will see more of that. We are doing a lot fewer U-shaped kitchens and more L-shaped, with big islands and a wall of glass at the back letting light in.” The kitchen-great room combination is also providing connectivity to the backyard for seamless indoor-outdoor living.
‘Flex’ rooms “Home offices haven’t gone away and are still there to some degree. But they are not used in the way they used to be, because everyone has tablets and portable devices now,” says Nicolucci. “People still need a quiet place for home organization, for sorting and paying bills. It’s not a hub
of technology anymore. Everything is wireless.” “There is a lot more flexibility in floor plans on the second floor and sometimes the first floor,” says Cassidy. “A home office or den can be modified into a bedroom for a live-in relative or caretaker. If you do business at home, you might want a room
off the foyer at the front of the house to meet clients. Upstairs there might be a private apartment for an older child. There is a lot more attention being paid to multigenerational situations where you have the owners, children and an older parent living under one roof.”
Dining rooms’ enduring appeal “I have not done a plan in my career that doesn’t have a dining room,” says Cassidy. “For those times of years where there are formal celebrations, the dining room is the showpiece. Many people have large, expensive dining suites. If you take out the dining room, there is a problem for resale. I don’t see it going anywhere.” Nicolucci agrees: “It’s still required in almost every house we design, although people can use it as they want.”
Bigger islands and more informal kitchens are making for larger gathering spaces.
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have moved onto the main or second floors and often are integrated with mudrooms. “Laundry is not acceptable in the basement,” says Nicolucci. “The second floor is becoming more accepted than before. When we do a second-floor laundry, we are encouraged to create mudrooms on the main floor wherever possible. You need to have a place for boots and coats with decent closets.” “Now you’ve got washers and dryers that look like pieces of art,” notes Cassidy. “If the laundry room isn’t on the main floor, it’s on the second floor.” The laundry/mudroom is now serving as the family entrance to the home and is getting larger. “Now they have upper and lower cabinetry, a desk for hobbies, a bench and a charging station for multiple smartphones and devices,” Cassidy notes. A nice perk in a mudroom is a staircase to the basement for servicemen to use or for kids to take sports equipment downstairs.
Better balance between bedrooms Nicolucci says designers are looking at the quality of rooms and are balancing bedroom sizes, so there are no longer cavernous master bedrooms and dinky secondary bedrooms. Master suites are still well sized with space to accommodate big walk-in closets and spa-like ensuite baths. “The room sizes are more useable,” Nicolucci says. “Now we’re seeing more bathrooms upstairs and walk-in closets for every bedroom. They are not oversized; everything is tastefully sized.” Walk-in closets, especially in the master are becoming almost like miniature clothing boutiques with upgraded finished cabinetry, drawers, shelves and sometimes an island for folding, says Cassidy.
Laundry rooms (top) have gotten a makeover with high-end washers and dryers and plenty of storage options, while often doubling as a mudroom. Bathrooms, meanwhile, are continuing to embrace a spa feel. And circular staircases are out, in favour of a more modern approach.
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Relaxing ensuite bathrooms Master bathrooms are emulating spa style, with large, glass showers, rain showerheads and double sinks. Sculptural freestanding pedestal tubs “that you can take a Swiffer around” are a trend, as are larger showers with benches, vanities with dual sinks and separate water closets, says Cassidy.
Taller ceilings, bigger windows Nine-foot ceilings are the new norm and offered as a standard, says Nicolucci, with many builders offering 10-foot main-floor ceilings in higher-end homes and nine-feet on the second floor. Cassidy says windows are getting larger and a wall of windows along a back wall of a home is a way of connecting indoor and outdoor space.
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Outdoor living spaces Our summers may be brief, but Canadians are embracing the outdoors and the socializing possibilities it presents. “We are doing a lot of covered porches and loggias, some of them screened,” says Cassidy. “You want room for an outdoor fireplace or a summer kitchen. We are bringing the inside out and the outside in and there’s transparency between the two spaces.” “Loggia are very popular,” seconds Nicolucci. “There’s a lot of opportunity with indoor-outdoor living and it fits with the idea of opening up space and making it more informal. People are entertaining outdoors and indoors at same time and the spaces are flowing together.”
Exterior features Multi-material facades are where it’s at, and you’ll seldom see all-brick new homes anymore, according to Cassidy. “You can really up the curb appeal with a mixture of stone, brick, stucco and maybe some board and batten or shake material, whether it’s Hardie Board or vinyl.” “One thing we’ve had success with on lots as narrow as 45 feet are port cocheres, 56
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where you have a double driveway that narrows to single,” he adds. “You can put an architectural cover or a room on a second floor over the driveway and the benefit is you are putting the emphasis on the width of house and de-emphasizing the garage.” The biggest exterior trend is contemporary architecture, says Nicolucci. “It’s such a drastic change from what we’ve done in the past and there’s a freshness to it.” “We are playing with funky colours, such as black and burnt umber brick, and when you mix it with wood and steel and floor-to-ceiling glass, you get a beautiful look,” says Cassidy.
Stylish townhouses Townhouse designs are getting more sophisticated, says Nicolucci. “We’re doing a lot of contemporary townhouses and we are focusing on the quality of the indoor living spaces. The townhouse has become a choice and we’re paying more respect to the townhouse and attention to detail.” “We’re getting more and more involved with stacked townhouses, with surface or underground parking,” says Cassidy. “There are more innovations with back-toback townhouses and there are modular townhouses that are 14-and-a-half feet wide. You see some that are three-and-ahalf storeys on one side and four storeys on the other.”
Multi-material facades are hot for home exteriors, and while bedroom sizes are becoming more balanced, there should still be plenty of room for walk-in closets . ohba.ca
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What’s trending in condos? Storage solutions: This rates as a top priority for condo buyers, says Jeanhy Shim, head of Housing Lab Toronto, an independent housing research firm. Some developers are trying to maximize kitchen storage with features such as pantries, islands and extraheight cupboards. While it’s handy to have a washer and dryer in a suite, many times they are stuffed into a closet with little room to spare. Condo dwellers appreciate enough room so they can store a hamper, ironing board, mop or vacuum cleaner in front of the washer and dryer, Shim says. “We are also seeing double-hanging rails in half of the bedroom closet, which allows for more storage and people really appreciate details like that.” Bicycle parking/storage: New urban condos are providing space for residents to store their bikes. But Shim says developers may want to consider offering more than one bicycle parking/storage space per unit, as couples usually each own a bicycle, and if they have kids, they have even more. Generous balconies: One of the main sacrifices people make from low-rise living is the backyard, and Shim says developers have caught on and are offering larger balconies or terraces that have enough room for barbecuing and entertaining. Flex space: A trend that may become more popular is flex space in condos, as everyone lives differently, points out Shim. For example, people who enjoy cooking may want a larger kitchen than those who don’t, or people who entertain might want a dining room rather than a den. Some developers are also offering purchasers the option of purchasing two side-by-side units that have walls that can easily be removed for larger space living (or put back in place once the kids have left home). Doubt about dens: Shim says buyers have a whole cynicism about dens advertised as available in condos, given that many dens are nothing more than small corners. “A nook is not a den. A lot of people don’t have desktops, so don’t need a den anymore.” Don’t bury the bedroom: While internal bedrooms have become a common design feature in condos, having the bedroom in the middle of the suite, with living and dining spaces facing the exterior windows, isn’t popular with parents of young children or empty nesters, who prefer windows in the bedrooms, says Shim.
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WHAT’S OUT Main floor master bedrooms Consumers didn’t embrace first-floor master bedrooms in two-storey homes. Active adults who buy two-storey homes believe they’re fit enough to handle stairs. Bungalow lofts didn’t turn out to be popular with this market either, says Nicolucci.
Formal living rooms This room, which was seldom used, has become a flex room for use as a home office, den or study or a place to meet with clients if someone is running a home business. For those work-at-home types, it’s best located right off the foyer.
Circular staircases These grandiose stairways that extended from the foyer to the second floor wasted a lot of space. Staircases are more practical in design now, says Cassidy, and not always designed to the front of the house. Many are being incorporated into the great room/ kitchen area.
Corner bathtubs Those large corner tubs are gone, with freestanding pedestal tubs and big showers a hot trend. Whirlpool tubs are also passé.
Overly ornate and traditional homes While there is still a place for traditionally styled homes in the market, they aren’t as heavily ornate, says Nicolucci, and preference is more for proportional architecture such as English Country or simple Georgian townhouses with larger windows. Modern, sleek and contemporary is a growing trend. OHB
Formal living rooms and ornate styling is passé. In the bathroom, freestanding pedestal tubs are replacing the once-popular corner tub. ohba.ca
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Builders need to prepare for the increasing wrath of Mother Nature By Ted McIntyre
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When his son told him there was a tornado outside, Steven Bendo smiled. “I just kind of laughed it off—told him it was heavy rain,” Bendo said to the Toronto Star. “But then I saw a roof fly by my window.” It might have Ann Marie McKay’s roof, which was torn away by the twister that ripped through Angus, Ontario last June. “The memories of all my kids were upstairs—their umbilical cords, my daughter’s first report card…” she told the Star. “The shock of it is something I could never describe.” Act of God, right? What can realistically be done to protect Ontario homeowners from such violent and unpredictable events? Perhaps more than you think. And given a climate shift that appears to be resulting in both a higher frequency and ferocity of storms, home builders should consider the future of creating more resilient communities. Although there is debate as to whether or not the number of tornadoes like the one that ravaged Angus is increasing in Ontario, one point is clear: As more developments dot the provincial landscape— particularly pushing north of the GTA— it is driving up the likelihood of severe weather affecting the population. “A lot of the events we visit are happening in cottage country—Peterborough, Haliburton… where homes and cottages might not have existed 30 years ago and where there might have been only minor property damage or unreported tree damage,” notes Geoff Coulson, Warning Preparedness Meteorologist with Environment Canada. “The Angus event did incredible damage to a townhouse complex that was a farmer’s field five years prior. But now we have major insurable losses, and were very fortunate not to have any loss of life.” ohba.ca
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Canada’s insurance companies are intimately aware of the effects of a changing environment. They experienced $3.2 billion in weather-related insurance claims in 2013. And while the premiums collected from Canadian homeowners dwarf the record payout, disaster damage has been doubling every five to seven years since the 1960s, reports the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR). It’s one of the reasons Canada’s property-and-casualty insurance industry established the ICLR in 1997. An independent institute affiliated with the University of Western Ontario, the facility, among other pursuits, is working to promote the construction of disaster-resilient homes. Its Three Little Pigs Project, coupled with the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel at Western, feature a world-class research team and facility capable of testing full-scale wood framed houses under extreme duress—repeatedly tearing it apart, then rebuilding it again. And for those who think you can’t tornado-proof a residence, ICLR research suggests otherwise. “The vast majority of tornadoes in Canada are low-grade F0’s to F2’s,” explains ICLR managing director Glenn McGillivray. “We very rarely get threes or fours, and we have only had one F5 in modern history. In Angus, where 102 homes were damaged, most of the damage was from wind-borne debris—chunks of roof or entire roofs flying off and landing on other homes. That was an F2 tornado, and we believe we could’ve kept those roofs on those homes with hurricane straps.” “In Angus, the tornado went between two rows of homes. I think the construction details there were handled differently, because on one side of the street it was just shingles and siding that were lost, but on the other side of the street, a whole bunch of homes lost their roofs,” says Professor Greg Kopp, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and professor in Wind Engineering. “With tornadoes, you usually see complete pieces of lumber with the nails sticking out of them. In this case, there were often no nails sticking out of them, or just one. Many of those houses had to be demolished, and the contents were destroyed by wind and water.” Kopp describes hurricane straps—thin pieces of metal that wrap over trusses and connect to walls—as seatbelts for your house. “When the wind blows over a house, it wants to lift the roof up. Most 62
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Natural disasters, such as last year’s tornado in Angus and Burlington’s flood, appear to be on the rise in Ontario.
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people think the walls hold the roof up, but in a windstorm, you need to think about holding the roof down. A wood-frame roof is very light. The analogy I use is to think about holding a house upside down, attaching weights to the roof, and shaking it violently. Toe nails aren’t going to hold it in place.” Kopp would also like to see longer twist shank nails, as opposed to straight nails— ring shanks are better still. And, he says, size matters. “The building code now requires 6D nails (2”), but if we went to 8D (2.5”), it would make a very big difference. Sheathing can pull over a small nail head. A standard 8D nail with a fully round head has twice the capacity of a 6D, meaning you could resist a 40% higher wind speed! So for the type of tornadoes we usually have here in Ontario—and we average 12 per year— we could reduce the structural damage to almost nothing.” Stemming the tide
The science of destroying homes The Insurance Research Lab for Better Homes at the University of Western Ontario is a multi-million-dollar state-of-theart research facility built to examine all aspects of house construction by performing novel experiments on extreme wind effects, moisture penetration, energy efficiency and mould growth. Its aim is to improve construction techniques in order to make communities more resilient to natural hazards and more energy efficient in the coming decades. The facility brings, for the first time anywhere, the application of realistically simulated time and spatially varying wind loads to full-scale houses and light-frame structures in a controlled manner, to the point that the structure fails. This allows an assessment of the integrity of the overall structure of the building, the pathways by which the load is transmitted through the structure to the ground and the performance of individual building components as part of the whole construction. Information on human error during the construction process is collected and its impact on the potential damage and failure is analyzed. Simulated snow loading can also be investigated.
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The vast majority of storm-related damage, however, is not due to wind but flooding, accounting for an average of $2 billion in national claims annually—a number steadily rising thanks in part to the highend electronics and other amenities populating basements around the country, not to mention the accompanying hardwood, laminate, drywall, pot lights, high-efficiency furnaces and other upgrades. “One type of weather that climatologists, research scientists and Environment Canada have noticed is the trend to more flash floods—high intensity, short-duration rainfalls with a slow-moving thunderstorm or a series of passing thunderstorms over the same area,” says Coulson. “The most recent example was last summer in Burlington, where they received double a month’s normal rainfall in four or five hours, causing flooding to 3,000 homes.” The proliferation of hard surfaces in our communities—from driveways to patios—is contributing to the problem. “By removing wetlands to take in that precipitation, and making land surfaces impermeable by paving them over, the runoff becomes more significant and that volume of water has to go somewhere, and unfortunately it usually ends up in someone’s basement,” says Coulson. The use of pervious concrete in residential developments (see sidebar) can significantly improve drainage in such circumontario home builder spring 2015
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stances, but there are other measures builders can take to combat overland flooding, infiltration flooding and sewer backup, notes the ICLR’s Home Builder’s Guide, issued in 2010. One of the first is to install a backwater valve. Proper lot grading is an obvious consideration, including placement of appropriate swales while avoiding reverse-sloped driveways. Other steps include the installation of window wells for windows close to ground level where appropriate, as well as covers on those wells; disconnection of eavestrough downspouts and adding proper extensions and splash pads extending away from the foundation walls; proper backfilling, including capping backfill area with a soil that has a low porosity, such as clay; and reducing the amount of hard surfaces on a lot as much as possible while incorporating ‘soft’ landscaping, such as vegetated areas and gardens. In many cases, municipal governments have carried out detailed engineering studies on the causes of urban flooding in their jurisdiction, the guide notes. Developers should investigate whether such studies have been conducted and integrate the findings into the home/lot design. A sump pit and sump pump can also be installed, along with the incorporation of warning devices to detect high water levels in the pit or a malfunction of the pump. The final suggestions include adding a waterproofing membrane to the foundation walls, as well as selecting moisture-resistant flooring and wall finishes in the basement. Some builders, however, see such flooding as a municipal concern; not a builder issue. “Raise the land or don’t allow basements to be built in those areas,” suggests John Dunnink, president of Dunnink Homes in Guelph. “And if insurance companies want to avoid flood-damage payouts, they shouldn’t provide insurance in flood-prone areas.” The ICLR, though, believes there is some share of responsibility to go around. “I think it is a common fallacy that if you put in the best sewer system you are not going to get the basement flooding,” says McGillivray. “Many of the problems are at the lot level, not the street level or infrastructure. If you have improper landscaping, if your foundation drains are clogged with silt or collapsed, if you have illegal cross-connections, you can end up with a lotlevel problem that has nothing to do with infrastructure. Our research suggests that you get basement flooding when and where it rains heavily.” And when it comes to mandatory backwater valves, Ontario needs to step up, says McGillivray. “Eight out of 10 provinces require backwater valves in their building codes. The only two that don’t are B.C. and Ontario, although many cities do require them through local bylaws, such as Ottawa, which requires backwater valves on both the sanitary and the storm laterals. We had a case with a new Ottawa subdivision where streets were completely flooded 64
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Holey concrete, Batman! Companies like Sustainable Concrete Canada are hoping to pave the way to a more environmentally friendly neighbourhood. At a time when developers are dealing with the increasing likelihood of weather-related flooding, the company’s pervious concrete is opening up some new opportunities— quite literally—in reducing stormwater runoff. Featuring reduced sand or fines, pervious concrete is a pavement structure created using a precise mixture of cement, aggregates and water. The cement and water are combined to form a paste, which is used to coat the special aggregate blend. This strong, highly durable composition leaves stable air pockets and a total void space of 15-25%, which allows stormwater to flow through the concrete, instead of collecting and flowing into residential basements. While pervious concrete requires a longer curing process and is more expensive than traditional asphalt and concrete paving methods, there are numerous positives to its employment. First, homes are better protected from flash floods and backflow. Financially speaking, there is less need for storm sewers and stormwater management ponds. It also allows builders to reclaim developable area that would otherwise be consumed by those ponds. It further enables builders to grade more level sites, offering savings in site preparation, as well as improving handicap accessibility. It further reduces the need and cost of on-site curbs and gutters. Its numerous environmental advantages include helping to replenish water tables and aquifers, preventing warm and polluted water from entering streams and affecting marine habitats, and reducing heat-island effect while simultaneously increasing reflectivity over other pavements such as asphalt (which can lower lighting costs by as much as 30%). Inherently resistant to freeze-thaw damage, the drainage properties of pervious concrete also enhance automobile traction.
Featuring reduced sand content and a precise mixture of cement, aggregates and water, pervious concrete allows stormwater to flow through stable air pockets and into the ground below, greatly reducing flood risk.
and absolutely no water got into any basements because mitigation measures were put into effect.” The greatest challenge, of course, is cost. The ICLR and OHBA have partnered on one occasion, when Dunnink Homes constructed a model home a year ago that went well beyond code to protect against extreme weather events. Its features including a backwater valve, improved backfill and overland drainage, engineered trusses, strapping between rafters and wall framing, 1 ⁄ 2” roof sheathing with nails spaced at 6” intervals, as well as eave protection and roof underlayment. All told, company president John Dunnink estimates about $7,000 in upgrades between labour and products, ohba.ca
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Preventative measures include connectors to hold down rafters (top) and products like the self-adhering Henry Blueskin (above), which, apart from improving energy efficiency, helps prevent mould and flooding damage.
superficial things in new home construction—how pretty the house is—but we’re really not looking at the bones. I teach courses for the Alberta professional home builder association and I see an appetite for these changes in some of my students, although it still might be a generation away from many of those future home builders being in a position to effect change.” For its part, the ICLR considers it a valuable experience having worked with Dunnink, Pound and the manufacturers, says Jason Thistlethwaite, director of the Climate Change Adaptation project and research associate at ICLR. “Without support from homebuilders like John and Murray, it is difficult to build a bridge between the science and practice.” “I see repetitive patterns in much of the storm damage to homes—things that are low-cost to mitigate,” says Professor Kopp. “But I also know the home builders are in a competitive business environment. But if we can engage builders, we can find ways of implementing these measures for even less money.” OHB ohba.ca
permeable concrete photo: courtesy j. j. Harrison
some of which were supplied by manufacturers. “But most of things we installed were kind of overkill,” Dunnink says. “It was a good experience, but to make it mandatory in the home wouldn’t make sense. It would cost way too much.” Murray Pound is also well acquainted with the cost of such upgrades, although he believes in the upside. Proprietor of Gold Seal Homes in Carstairs, Alberta, Pound employed numerous ICLR recommendations in the construction of a test house in 2013, including plywood sheeting on the roof, strap ties right down to the foundation, longer ring nails and several moisture strategies, including a heavyduty pump with backup alarms. “All of this cost about $5,000 more,” relates Pound. “Just switching from 7/16ths OSB to half-inch plywood was an additional $1,200 on its own. The straps are cheap, but framers will charge me a premium to do that stuff, and you have to train people to do it. And it’s one more thing to inspect. As well intentioned as ICLR, EnerCan and all these agencies are, cumulatively these can add up to big costs.” That said, with lower insurance premiums and a safer, quieter home, there’s a potential upsell to be had by positioning a home resiliency package along the lines of an upgraded kitchen package. “A short list of basic measures—straps, longer nails, more nails and backwater valve—can come in at under $1,000 including labour,” advises McGillivray, “It depends on one’s exposure to hazards and how far they wish to go to reduce the risk.” “There’s certainly value in the data being produced by the ICLR, says Pound. “I can take that to my clients and say, ‘Do you want to do this? Here’s why you should. The studies have been done and we can embed these philosophies into your home and you’ll have a better product for years to come.’ “I employed most of ICLR’s techniques on the home I built for myself here last year in Carstairs, because I know it’s better. Now I go to my clients and say, ‘I put my money where my mouth is.’ But I’m a custom builder, not a track builder. Unless every other builder in a particular area is held to the same standard, it can be margin suicide for those guys.” “And it’s hard to sell these things as an upgrade because the person who typically makes most of the buying decisions is more concerned with choosing paint, light fixtures, countertops, flooring. Also, most buyers now look at it as, ‘Three years and I’m outta here!’ So in that respect, it’s much easier for a custom builder like me, whose clients may have a more long-term vision.” Still, just as energy-efficient features were once shunned as not worth the extra costs for homebuyers, so too will home-resiliency features become an expected upgrade, says Pound. “Durability and resiliency need to have a larger spot in the code. One of my big concerns is that we are looking at very
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Wasn’t that a party!
One of the launch parties of Daniels’ Corp.’s Cinema Tower Condos included a Bollywood-style flash mob dance.
What makes some project launches more memorable than others? By Ted McIntyre
Despite it being by invitation only, the lineup extended beyond the packed lobby, out the door and into the snowy November 2013 evening. Inside the Dundas St. sales office in Burlington, Adi Development Group was preparing for friends, guests and investors to sign on the dotted line for Phase I of the new LINK Condos + Towns units, a partnership with Fortress Real Developments. The Dinner & Design event featured contemporary artists painting original works, with the finished products auctioned off in support of the Diabetes Association of Canada. Media members and others who weren’t already putting pen to paper with Adi’s sales agents surveyed the impressive scale model of the development, toured the full model suite that adjoined the office and enjoyed the open bar and assorted gourmet goodies—such as stacked cubes of pork with bright red hot sauce—that were created specifically to emulate the architecture and colour scheme of the LINK project. ohba.ca
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Details like that may have been lost on many attendees of the packed house, but their cumulative effect of establishing a lifestyle experience piqued interest and breathed energy into the evening, with Adi’s team selling 100 of the available 143 units in just three hours. From media attention (which eventually included a business magazine feature profile on Adi Development Group principals Tariq and Saud Adi) to sales and goodwill, the developers and event organizer kg&a hit their marks as surely as if they were firing buckshot at balloons. There’s a science to great launch parties, which, like any big splash can make waves that spread long and far beyond the initial event. But before a developer’s defining day comes defining its identity, says David Klugsberg, president of advertising and marketing firm L.A. Inc. in Toronto. “We help our clients brand their properties, drive traffic and create the personality of the project. Then we try to create the event around the brand itself,” Klugsberg says. “We did a large event called Love in Scarborough on Valentine’s Day. And we did a project for Brandy Lane homes called The Station, on Wilson Ave. near the Allen Expressway, which we tied in with the subway station nearby and gave away Metropasses and holders.” Kim Graham, principal at kg&a, an award-winning boutique PR firm based in Toronto, calls it reverse engineering. “We start by looking at each event as an ‘experience’ of our client’s brands, from the project concept to the space that it will occupy. We back the event design around the photo-ops and showing off different elements of the project. We never do the same thing twice, so the project drives the creative direction. We do a lot of brainstorming. We have an office full of white walls that you can draw on—it’s a fun part of what we do. One example is the annual event for architects RAW Design we’ve done for the past eight years. Each year is a different installation. At a site of one of the oldest bread factories in Toronto that was about to become a condo, we had bread being made during the party; even the furniture was made out of bread. We had a scotch bar overlooking the bakery. We celebrated the space before it was transformed.” From introducing a project for stakeholders to opening the doors for public sales, there are many opportunities for exposure during the building process, notes Rhoda Eisenstadt, partner with tcgpr in Toronto. And for each there is a unique target audience. “If you have a lot of first-time buyers, you might want to hold a how-to seminar, where you bring in a banker and lawyer and talk from your perspective as a builder, or you can have a broker incentive event to kick-start the project,” says Eisenstadt. “Or maybe halfway through the project you get a bunch of purchasers together to meet their neighbours. Or you can identify a point of similar interest for potential buyers. For example, for a golf community, bring the golf pro in to talk about the course, lessons or the game in general, while someone else talks about the project.” Get them there, keep them there and give them something memorable, says Klugsberg. The trick is offering your audience a
We help our clients brand their properties, drive traffic and create the personality of the project.
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During the launch of Beaverhall Homes’ Ocean Club Waterfront Condos last year, Marilyn Monroe and Lady Gaga lookalikes interacted with guests; some launch party-goers (Residences of Royal Connaught pictured) are invited for their social network followers; and Aspen Ridge Homes and other builders targeted young families at Upper West Side in Thornhill. ohba.ca
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sense of ‘I need to come out and see this.’ For a project in Brampton years ago, we had free hot air balloon rides over the community so you could see it from a height.”
By invitation only Getting the right people to the party usually includes prospective purchasers, but don’t forget their political influencers as well, advises Eisenstadt, whose firm has been working with the home building industry since the early 1980s, conducting 150-180 events a year. “You might want to invite members of council and the mayor, since it gives them the chance to stand up and address prospective voters.” And include the neighbours, from the local community association to representatives of a local charity you may have sponsored. “If you’ve sponsored a local hockey league, then maybe you can have some of the coaches, parents and kids out,” suggests Eisenstadt. “Or maybe certain real estate agents who can be good advocates for you in the community.” When it comes to influencers, the media are often at the forefront. And while all PR and marketing firms have cultivated handsome lists of contacts, that list can be a fluid one these days, says kg&a’s Graham. “The media landscape has changed dramatically. We’re interested in journalists, but also bloggers and who is following whom on Twitter, because if they have an influential or big following, you can hit many of the right people through their networks. I had a recent Juno Awards pop-up event in Hamilton for the band Tokyo Police Club. There were only a hundred folks there, but it went out to various Twitter accounts with followings of 50,000+.” And it’s not just media who have loyal social media followings. A single intriguing image or comment from an event guest can pay huge dividends, which is why marketing and PR firms take great pride in delivering the money shot, such as what occurred at the launch of the Four Seasons private residences at Bay and Yorkville in Toronto in 2007. The official groundbreaking featured a group of politicians and project partners on a red carpet. After a dazzling aerial performance, four circus acrobats descended from ropes suspended by two cranes, grabbed shovels from their upside-down contorted positions and handed one each to the various bigwigs. Significant traditional and social media accompanied the event and followed afterward. This past year has been rich with memorable launches in Ontario, including the Residences of Royal Connaught, a celebration of the renaissance of Hamilton’s beloved historic icon. Partners Rudi Spallacci and Ted Valeri drew on the building’s past and the community’s future in a lavish party, replete with 1920s-style automobiles and garb. The buzz kept sales high in months that followed and created a network of advocates for the success of the project. Another original kg&a event came in the form of Curated Properties’ Lanehouse, a reinvention of an old knitting mill. “We took a very industrial space and literally ‘yarn bombed’ it,” says Graham. “Nobody knew what the term even meant, which was part of the point—it’s basically graffiti using yarn; an artistic statement. We took scaffolding and wrapped it in yarn, making a bar out of it. There were swings hanging from the rafters. We created something very different that media and guests had not seen before, while conveying a message about the history of the space.” While Graham estimates the cost of events like this are typically ohba.ca
Some parties are memorable for their unique take on the project’s history (like the knitting mill-inspired swings of Curated Properties’ Lanehouse. Some are lavish, like Daniels Corp.’s Cirque du Soleilstyle event for Cinema Tower, while others can be budgetfriendly, like the mermaid photo op employed by the PR firm of tgcpr in Toronto.
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Basic preparations for the perfect party While many builders have staged lavish events to get their message out, there should be serious consideration paid to the most basic of preparations, advises Richard Luciani, Chair of the OHBA’s Sales & Marketing Committee and president of Cedar Point Real Estate. “Being prepared, having enough marketing materials available and your staff being well informed— these are very important. You can’t have a staff member showing up that day and first learning about the project,” Luciani says. “Believe it or not, I’ve been on sites where on opening day they were trying to sell homes and the computers weren’t hooked up yet and the proper paperwork wasn’t ready, and they had to say to prospective buyers, ‘Sorry, I don’t have all the information yet—can I take your contact info and call you?’” And provide information in advance, says Luciani. “In the days before the opening, contact your RSVP list, or announce it on your website, or send an email blast that all of your floor plans are available on your website, along with other info, including a general price range. This way, they know what to expect before they arrive and have an idea of what plan and lot they’re thinking about. It lowers the likelihood of people pulling out after their down payment.” When it comes to food, ensure there are enough serving staff, says Rhoda Eisenstadt, a partner with tcgpr in Toronto. “And make sure what you’re serving is easy to hold in one hand and isn’t messy or greasy.” “Also, have clear directional signage,” Eisenstadt adds. “If you’re having speeches, call the event for at least 30 minutes before the speeches start. And make sure there is adequate parking, because people will leave if it’s difficult to find a spot. And have enough washroom facilities. If you’re using portable washrooms, make sure they are clean and new!” Other simple questions need to
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be asked: Does the venue provide the specific ambience you’re looking for? Is WiFi available? A coat check? A decent A/V setup? Does the venue have insurance? Buttering up media members is also a must. “Make their job as easy as possible,” stresses Eisenstadt. “Easily accessible, well-written media kits can include a USB flash drive with a maximum two-page fact sheet, and have someone to look after their needs at the event. And if there are speeches, have copies of the speeches available, so that journalists can prepare questions for afterward.” Mother Nature can’t be trusted, so have a rain date and a large tent for outdoor events in case of inclement weather or even to provide shade if it’s too hot and sunny. And be prepared for a big turnout. That might mean keeping waiting guests occupied with magicians meandering through the crowd or video screens playing a loop of the project details. And if you’re providing single-family homes for firsttime buyers and younger end users, be ready to cater to parents with youngsters in tow with things like clowns, balloons and popcorn. “Launching a new community is much like putting on a production; everyone knows their role,” explains Amanda Wilson Watkins, V.P. of Marketing and Sales at Minto Communities. “When your team has time to absorb the information and run through the schedule, it becomes so much easier to know what to expect. I think it’s critical to think of any new launch from the standpoint of the buyer. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and think about creating true hospitality at the event. You can’t overlook the simple things that make people feel comfortable and relaxed, like having the appropriate number of staff on hand to answer questions or the right amount of food and drink. All of these details make it easier for people to focus on what they came there to do: find their perfect new home!”
in the $10,000 to $20,000 ballpark, “it’s a good investment when you consider the magnitude of media hits that you get from the event,” she says. One magnetic event draw is a pro athlete, notes Eisenstadt. “The Toronto Maple Leafs and Raptors have foundations you can hook into. You can get a hockey player in the offseason, but for even less—and throughout the year—you can get a retired player like Doug Gilmour or Wendel Clark, who might be even more popular.”
Exposure at a bargain Creating the wow factor need not break the bank. When tcgpr helped plan the grand opening of the Aspen Ridge Homes Design Studio in Concord, it featured a mermaid in one of the bathtubs, which was a huge hit with guests, partners and media alike. The cost of the model and costume? Less than $1,500. The firm has also hired a Marie Antoinette living statue performer in the past, and employed a gold-painted Oscar statue-like gentleman for a Mercer Condominiums event in Toronto during the Toronto International Film Festival, the latter of which caught the eye of a Toronto Star reporter who was walking by and blogged about it. Each performer cost less than $1,000. Another inexpensive—and potentially free—photo op can be had by borrowing luxury cars from a local dealer, says Eisenstadt. Even an unforgettable venue can be had at a bargain, with a little outside-the-box thinking. For example, kg&a was the first to hold a party at the Lower Bay Subway Station, part of a never-completed Toronto subway line, which has since become a recurring host for unique events. They pulled off a unique reception during TIFF for less than $20,000, at a time when other parties that week were costing organizers $200,000. Another way to offset costs is to find the right corporate partners. Larger brands and service providers such as legal or accounting firms will often provide capital in exchange for promotion to the attractive demographic a home-purchasing crowd provides. Where not to scrimp is on food, advises Graham. “It should always be fantastic and memorable. Quality should never be sacrificed for quantity. You don’t have to feed them dinner, but don’t give them another mini burger or ham and cheese sandwich.” Whatever you do with your launch party, be original, stresses L.A. Inc.’s Klugsberg. “Don’t try to do the same thing others have done. You will miss the opportunity to communicate the unique value of your brand.” OHB ontario home builder spring 2015
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For decades, Canadians have been fed a steady diet of predictions, speculations and warnings about the baby boom effect—the ways in which the nation’s largest demographic cohort would shape our society in years to come. That future is now. With the first wave of boomers now classified as seniors, we are witnessing a dramatic shift in how and where Canadians choose to live out their retirement years. Current estimates predict that by 2036 nearly a quarter of the Canadian population will be over 65, compared with just over one-eighth in 2006. The spike in the population of those aged 80 years or more is even more significant, growing 112% between 2006 and 2031. This new generation of seniors is blessed with unprecedented health, vitality, education and wealth when compared to their ancestors. The lifestyle choices they make now will set the stage for how our homes, neighbourhoods, cities and suburbs are built in the future. In 2008, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) published Impacts of the Aging of the Canadian Population on Housing and Communities, a document highlighting its extensive research into this very topic. It reports some 85% of those over 55 said that they planned to remain in their present homes for as long as possible, even if there were changes in their health. How and where seniors choose to live will have an impact on us all. If, as the CMHC reports, the majority remain in their current homes, new developments will be needed to accommodate increased demand for housing and provincial “Places to Grow” population estimates in targeted communities. In addition to a continued need for long-term care spaces, there has been a boom in the construction of specialized senior housing—lifestyle buildings and communities that offer a range of services, ohba.ca
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“We all support infill and intensification, but it has to be balanced by making sure there is a sufficient variety of housing choices.”
amenities and activities designed to attract the Zoomer generation under one roof. If a significant percentage of seniors choose this option, there will be a ready supply of re-sale homes on the market, limiting the need for new development. The ongoing struggle to limit urban boundaries while meeting the housing needs of growing populations is not new in Ontario. What is new is the extent to which aging baby boomers are being cited as a tool to support both sides. The Region of Waterloo is as familiar with the issue as any town in Ontario. With two universities, a college and a burgeoning high-tech sector, the area is expected to attract an additional 200,000 residents over the next 20 years. Region officials have prepared to meet this growth with an integrated light rail transit (LRT) project designed to limit urban growth, protect farmland and encourage urban intensification along the transit corridor. But what to do about housing? Waterloo’s Regional Official Plan called for a boundary beyond which no new development could take place. 78
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Based on its land budget calculations, Region officials proposed limiting the development of new land to 80 hectares and focusing on intensification and infill projects to meet the remaining demand. Citing CMHC statistics on seniors aging in place as one of the key factors, developers disagreed and argued that up to 1,053 acres of additional land should be opened up to development by 2031. In 2013, the OMB ruled on the issue, siding with the industry—a move that some claim undermines the authority of regional and city planners across the province. The matter is far from resolved; in the fall of 2014, Waterloo regional councillors voted unanimously to pursue a judicial review of the OMB decision. In the meantime, Waterloo continues to grow and prosper. “Since that [OMB] decision, the Region has continued to show strong development activity, with over 50% of new residential development annually occurring within our community’s built boundary,” says Rob Horne, Commissioner of Planning, Development and Legislative Services for the Region
of Waterloo. “This has included new employment development as well, such as new offices for Google, which has outgrown its current location in our region. Support for more focused development in existing built-up areas was further enhanced this year when construction began of ION, the Region’s new rapid transit system. Finally, our community continues to possess a substantial supply of unbuilt residential development in greenfields (new subdivision areas).” Horne also points out that, while the Region presented details relating to seniors housing to the OMB as background information, its land budget calculation did not rely on analysis related to housing choices made by seniors. “The OMB decision on the land budget is only a partial decision on the Regional Official Plan (ROP),” Horne says. “At the same time, the market continues to emulate many of the goals of the ROP, including more compact and denser development, greater reliance on public transit and a greater focus on design excellence.” “Understanding the demands for ohba.ca
housing is one of the biggest issues we face, and it is a controversial issue,” says Douglas Stewart, Senior Planner at Stantec Consulting Ltd. in Kitchener and chair of OHBA’s Land Development Committee. “We are striving to provide housing choice; it has to include each and every form—from ground-oriented single-detached to townhouse, to mid-rise, to high-rise, and from rental to owned. We all support infill and intensification, but it has to be balanced by making sure there is a sufficient
Best Cities for Seniors When Moneysense magazine released its 2014 rankings of the best cities to live in Canada, Ontario was well represented. Its list of the top-10 places to retire included six Ontario cities and towns, based largely on low crime rates, good weather and access to healthcare services: 1. 2. 3. 6. 8. 10.
Kingston Ottawa Burlington Toronto Oakville Stratford
Other top contenders included Owen Sound, which was noted by the Canadian Association of Retired Persons as a top retirement destination thanks to affordable housing and a variety of cultural activities geared to those 55+; Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake, which were acknowledged for their cultural and social activities, beautiful scenery and plethora of wineries; and Peterborough, which counts 20% of its residents over the age of 55 and features the highest density of seniors in the province.
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variety of housing choices. “The planning framework has to be flexible to address the housing needs of today, as well as the short-, mid- and long-term needs,” emphasizes Stewart. “The Official Plans that determine urban boundaries are based on a 20-year planning horizon. Although legislated, the intent is to have the plans reviewed on a five-year cycle, but unfortunately that doesn’t always happen. “It’s important to understand not only the choices boomers will make, but also what housing demands will be made by immigrants. We tend to focus on generations—Baby Boomers, GenX, GenY, etc.—but I’m not sure there is enough documentation to understand and make housing decisions. We can hypothesize that seniors will stay in their homes or will move to other forms of housing for a variety of reasons, but I believe there is insufficient documented evidence and therefore this remains a hypothesis. “We are all aware there are limited resources for infrastructure and we need to best utilize the infrastructure while creating healthy and liveable communities,” Stewart adds, “but they must offer balance, choice and affordability.” flexibility is critical When it comes to predicting the future residences of Ontario’s seniors, few are better positioned to make the call than the Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging (RIA), a nine-year-old, not-for-profit organization whose Schlegel family benefactor has a lengthy history in senior-living and long-term care facilities in the region. “I think we’re going to see the baby boomer bulge split, with some moving into congregate settings and some doing what they need to do in order to stay within their community,” says Josie d’Avernas, RIA vice-president. “I think we will also see more people—just because there are more of us—aging in place for as long as possible, since that’s the preference of older adults, and we don’t see that trend changing.” “But you will also see more people moving into retirement and longterm care centres simply because of
demographics—there are going to be more people in the older ages in need of higher levels of care. As you live longer with chronic conditions, a congregate living environment where that care surrounds you is the best place to be.” Once the leap is made to a senior living facility, however, there should be flexibilty to accommodate the subsequent stages of the inevitable physical and mental decline. “In the Schlegel continuum, we go right from independent living through to long-term care, including palliative care, and everything in between,” notes d’Avernas, whose company features 13 Schlegel Villages properties in Ontario. “The beauty of that is that you can move through the continuum as your care needs change, without moving away from the social network that you’ve built up.” Sheri Maynard, Director of Marketing for Maxion Management Group, believes many boomers are choosing to make the move to purpose-built lifestyle communities earlier than in the past, allowing them to age in place more easily. “Aging in place does not necessarily mean staying in the same family home for their entire lifespan,” says Maynard. “For many seniors, it means staying in their own community, surrounded by the people and businesses they have built relationships with. “The baby boomers have very different expectations than previous generations. They are active, involved and used to a certain quality of life. They don’t plan on giving that up in retirement. Aging in place doesn’t have to mean struggling to maintain the family home or to access services, which can be a difficult, expensive and lonely proposition. While we have seen some great initiatives to help with healthcare, meals and physical renovations, they don’t necessarily address the social/emotional component of aging in place alone. “When seniors make the decision to move, it is usually based on health factors,” says Maynard, whose flexible options at The Uptown senior living residence in Waterloo allows buyers to sell their independent living unit and purchase a retirement suite without leaving The Uptown. ohba.ca
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Facts & Figures • Percentage of the Canadian population that are seniors: 1936: 1 in 20 2006: 1 in 8 2036: projected near 1 in 4 • 85% of those over 55 indicate a desire to age at home for as long as possible. • 72% of employed seniors plan to work past the age of 65. • As of 2001, close to 1 in 5 seniors lived with their children or grandchildren. • 23% of Canadian homeowners aged 55+ would consider adding a secondary suite to their home for a family member. • The vacancy rate for standard senior spaces in Ontario increased from 13.4% in 2013 to 13.9% in 2014. The vacancy rate increased for bachelor/studio units and onebedroom suites, but declined for ward/semi-private spaces and two-bedroom suites. • Demand has increased for newer seniors’ residences. Only residences opened in 2000 or later recorded an increase in the number of occupied units.
not a permanent trend While it’s clear that municipal and regional planners, developers and home builders must pay attention to trends and plan for the long term, Janet Kreda, a senior researcher with CMHC, cautions against giving too much weight to any one single factor, such as the aging boomer population. 82
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“It’s important to remember that the baby boom is just that—a boom,” Kreda says. “It has a finite beginning, middle and end, and it will certainly end. The homes and communities we are building now can have a lifespan of 50 to 100 years, while this demographic trend will last only 20 to 30 years.” Kreda says the flexibility of housing stock will be key; as builders know all too well it is easier to plan and design for future adaptations rather than making modifications as an afterthought. For example, a second suite could be used throughout all stages of life: as accommodations for a nanny in the early years; for a teenager or young adult student; for a home-based business; to provide rental income; to accommodate the “boomerang” generation; and to house family members or a professional caregiver in later years. Liveable, walkable communities that offer public transit, a variety of housing
options, services grouped together in close proximity and opportunities for social interaction will be key in meeting the needs of all citizens in the future, including the powerful baby boomers. Exactly what impact this demographic will have on our society as they continue to age is a bit of a mystery, though, according to Kreda. “Will seniors decide to stay in their homes or move out? Certainly there is an ‘eternal youth’ factor with this generation and they imagine themselves living actively and independently well into retirement. They don’t necessarily anticipate or plan for the health changes that might force a decision. The only thing we know for sure is that it won’t look like previous decades,” she says. “Baby boomers are changing history and re-writing the book on how to age, as they have done throughout their entire lives. We are going to experience it as it happens.” OHB ohba.ca
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Making an airtight case EnerQuality Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Energy Star for New Homes
By Marc Huminilowycz
Zero
attic and roof insulation,
leaky single-pane windows, energy-gobbling heating systems— many of us can recall spending long winters in vintage Ontario homes with drafty rooms, frosty windows and icy floors. Remember the oil crisis of the 1970s that prompted North American society to realize that energy conservation was a good idea and start insulating our attics? Residential home construction in this country has come a long way since then, thanks in large part to EnerQuality, a partnership founded in 1998 between the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance ohba.ca
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(CEEA) and the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA), with a grand mission to transform Ontario’s housing into the most energyefficient and sustainable in the world. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Energy Star for New Homes (ESNH) program in Canada. Developed and piloted by EnerQuality in 2005, ESNH is an initiative that sets energy efficiency guidelines, enabling new homes to be on average 20% more energy efficient than those built to minimum provincial building code. Since 2005, EnerQuality estimates that more than 75,000 homes have been enrolled and almost 60,000 labelled, making Energy Star the most successful green building initiative in Canada. In the beginning, EnerQuality decided to look for a green building program that was simpler, easier to administer and more acceptable by the residential building industry than the programs it was managing at the time (and still does today): EnerGuide Rating System for new homes (which EQ piloted) and R2000. “The driver behind our search was a program that would work best for production/volume builders,” says EnerQuality President Corey McBurney. “We felt that R2000 standards were too high and rules too complicated.”
35%
30%
‘Energy Star for New Homes’ is Canada’s most successful green building program.
‘Energy Star For New Homes’ Market Share of Ontario Housing Starts
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
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2005
2006
2007
2008
ontario home builder spring 2015
2009
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2014
A task group was formed consisting of builders, technical experts and personnel from EnerQuality and the Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). After assessing several alternatives, the group decided that Energy Star for New Homes, a builder-driven program established in 1992 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and adopted in Canada by NRCan, was the best option. It was established and highly successful south of the border, and the familiar blue Energy Star logo on appliances, lighting, etc. was already familiar to Canadians. One of the key players in the task group to bring Energy Star to Canada was Peter Love, founding president of EnerQuality. He was followed in that position by Michael Lio, Chairman of EnerQuality prior to 2005. Lio, a professional engineer whose achievements in green building included providing technical assistance regarding energy efficiency for every version of the Ontario Building Code since 1990, as well as changes to EnerGuide, R2000 and Energy Star. Lio invited Sam Rashkin, Building Technologies Program Chief Architect at the U.S. Department of Energy and Past Director of Energy Star for Homes in the U.S., to come to Canada and speak, which elevated interest in the program. “Originally, we thought about starting Energy Star in Ontario only, but NRCan owned the rights to it in Canada, so it became a national program,” says Lio, who is ohba.ca
Mattamy’s Hawthorne Village in Milton was one of the first communities in Ontario to participate in the ESNH program. “The energy savings from Mattamy’s Energy Starqualified homes in Ontario totals more than $14 million in homeowner savings since 2006,” says Gord Cooke, President and Principal, Building Knowledge Canada.
today president of his own consulting company, BuildABILITY. “Focusing on production building, we had many discussions with builders and hired consultants screened by EnerQuality’s Builder Advisory Council.” Cameron Ridsdale, Chairman of EnerQuality since 2005, was also part of the task group bringing Energy Star to Canada. “When the program was introduced in 2005, we knew it would be a winner,” he says. “It met our expectations because it was builderdriven—builders doing it themselves.” While he credits the support of Natural Resources Canada and the gas utility industry for Energy Star’s early success, Ridsdale notes that their were numerous key contributors on the homefront. “Michael Lio managed the bureaucracy while Ken Elsey (then V.P. of Electro-Federation Canada) had the Ottawa connections,” Ridsdale says. “And let’s not forget our tech guys, Tim Mayo and the late Bruce Gough, who wrote the rules for ESNH in Canada, interviewed builders and helped them get labelled.” Cameron also acknowledges Elsey for being instrumental in arranging “the most important ESNH meeting” with Louis Marmen, NRCan’s Housing Director at the time, setting the stage for EnerQuality’s launch of the program in Canada. “Our advantage was our strong relationship with the Ontario Home Builders’ Association. The late David Horton, the executive director at the time, had the foresight to look well beyond five years and see the importance ohba.ca
When the program was introduced in 2005, we knew it would be a winner. of new-home energy efficiency in the future.” “I can’t put my finger on just one element in the success of ESNH,” says Elsey. “With energy supply and the cost of oil under scrutiny and the creation of the Ontario Power Authority, the time was right. Builders got on board. NRCan and gas utilities supported it. Ontario’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing was buying into home energy efficiency and adjusting the Code. Meanwhile, EnerQuality was promoting Energy Star and pushing it forward. Everything came together. Today, Energy Star for New Homes is still a voluntary program that gives builders the leadership opportunity to show they can build better than Code.” Corporate support also led to the program’s early success, including Owens Corning Canada (OCC), Enbridge and Union Gas, who were recognized at this year’s EnerQuality awards for their longstanding partnership with the organization and the ESNH program. “We were there with EnerQuality from day one, and were part of the original ESNH task group,” notes OCC Market Development Manager Andy Goyda. “We are a major EnerQuality sponsor to this ontario home builder spring 2015
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day because we can help builders meet Energy Star,“ adds Goyda, who notes that Energy Star has helped bring higher-quality materials down in price. Goyda believes that the primary reason for ESNH’s success in Ontario is that it is driven by builders versus regulation. “And with Energy Star, it’s simple,” he says. “A home either passes or fails. If it passes, the homeowner knows that their house is 20-25% more efficient than Code.” Goyda envisions the ESNH program not only driving building codes but leading the way to “net zero” homes. Lio agrees. “As governments saw our initial success, they soon adjusted their codes and signalled that they would align them to the next level,” says Lio. “ESNH is showing governments that the program works because it helps builders get to a higher level of energy efficiency easily and voluntarily without unwelcome government legislation.”
Early adopters Among the builders who were first to adopt ESNH and be labelled in Ontario was Oshawa’s Jeffery Homes, which built its first ESNH home in Whitby’s The Birkshires subdivision in 2005. “With the technical help of Bruce Gough, it was 20-25% better than Code in insulation, air sealing and mechanicals,” says vice-president Scott Jeffery. “Buying into ESNH was easy for us. We felt we were doing it already, with building practices that were already close to the standards.” Having built and labelled over 400 ESNH homes since then, Jeffery believes that the program is “just fine the way it is now” and that the criteria should not be too stringent or expensive. “Before ESNH, R2000 was the green-home standard, but people just couldn’t see the value in it or justify the additional cost,” he says. Another early adopter of ESNH was Mason Homes in Concord. “We’ve been in business since 1961, building over 6,000 homes across the GTA and Southern Ontario,” says president Gord Mason. “Some years ago, we started a program with insulated glass, shipping double-glazed windows to England. This prompted us to consider Energy Star for our homes.” Mason Homes’ ESNH adoption started with 400 homes in Barrie. At first, the label was offered as an option to buyers, but today it is a standard feature. “With Energy Star, homeowners now save 25% annually on heating and cooling, with better air quality and a quieter, more comfortable home,” says Mason, who believes that ESNH criteria will improve as time goes on, continually staying ahead of building code. How successful has the program been? In 2008, three years after ESNH was introduced, about 10% of new homes in Ontario were built to Energy Star standards. According to the latest figures from EnerQuality, 32% of all homes built in Ontario in 2014 were Energy Star-qualified—the highest market share enjoyed by the program to date. EnerQuality manages several home energy efficiency programs but, according to president Corey McBurney, Energy Star is the industry’s premier green initiative. “It’s about trying to keep it simple while asking the industry to do better—better for customers, better for business, better for the environment and better for Canada. If you as a builder stand behind your product, Energy Star and other programs can help you. There’s a bigger story beyond Energy Star. It involves innovation, quality and building performance. Ultimately, widespread adoption of better building is the way.” 88
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What sets an Energy Star home apart from a conventional home? • Approximately 20% more energy efficient than homes built to Code • Efficient heating and cooling systems that use less energy, reduce indoor humidity and improve the overall comfort of a home • High-performance Energy Star windows, patio doors and skylights keep the heat in during the winter and out during the summer • Walls and ceilings insulated beyond what is required by the building code. • Features a variety of Energy Star products that use less electricity by meeting strict technical specifications • A heat- or energy-recovery ventilation system (HRV or ERV) ensures that homes have controlled ventilation
McBurney attributes much of the success of ESNH to EnerQuality’s network of certified energy evaluators, who engage builders one-on-one to promote the program and help them meet ESNH requirements. “EnerQuality is the service organization— accountable to both NRCan and builders— that is responsible for promoting and managing ESNH, including labelling homes and quality assurance,” he explains. “ESNH works because our organization and our evaluators all work well together.” Could the program be even more stringent? Elsey believes that ESNH is right where it should be. “It has to be attainable,” he says. “Housing costs are ridiculous today. If the cost is too high, it will put off the industry and consumers.” It’s hard to argue with the sort of success the program has experienced in the past decade. As it evolves and building codes follow suit, who knows what Ontario homes will look and perform like another 10 years from now? One thing’s for certain: the building industry, consumers and the environment will all win. OHB ohba.ca
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Better building
Thinking Inside the Box Urban Capital’s Cubitat isn’t just innovative and efficient, it’s also transportable! Urban Capital founders David Wex
and Mark Reeve haven’t come this far by playing it safe. The Toronto-based developers are renowned for the hugely popular, innovative Smart House micro-condos and architecturally striking River City, to name just two of their critically acclaimed “out of the box” projects. But the company has pioneered a way back into the box with the stand-alone Cubitat concept, a collaboration with Venice- and Stockholm-based design firm Nichetto Studios. The progressive Cubitat, a fully integrated multi-disciplinary module concept, is a 10’ x 10’ x 10’ prefabricated cube ohba.ca
containing the core elements of a home that is virtually jigsawed to personal specifications. Every custom detail can be configured by online. Kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and lounge—all constructed, contained, fully customized all-in-one, then transportable just about anywhere on earth. Add an exterior shell and basic services and your cube can become home sweet home. “Cubitat is about a more intelligent, holistic way to design and construct our living environments, taking cues from the prefab world and modern production methods,” says Wex. “As a builder, we look
at the automotive, consumer product and tech industries and ask why we can’t operate with that much rapidity and flexibility.” Urban Capital envisions Cubitat as a mobile object. The idea is to hoist and slide the module onto a condo floor mid-construction, or simply ship it to the home of your choice. “Cubitat is architecture on a whole new level—as product,” explains Reeve. “We’re rethinking the built world with the most adaptable home imagined. With Cubitat the home plugs in and plays. We were inspired to think through every design detail to ensure maximum usability.” ontario home builder spring 2015
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Better building
HVAC Optimization Bigger isn’t always better By Andrew oding Over the last 15 years, energy use in
new homes has been reduced by nearly 40%. Voluntary programs such as Energy Star and R2000 have provided builders with the technology and construction practices needed to build more comfortable, healthy and efficient homes, which paved the way to today’s building codes. One direct consequence of these efficiencies is that heating and cooling loads have dropped substantially in new homes across Canada. However, the national standard for evaluating the heat loss/heat gain of a Part 9 building (CSA F280-M90) has remained largely unchanged for nearly 20 years! This can, and does, cause problems for builders. An unintended consequence of using the old CSA F280–M90 standard when designing HVAC systems for today’s new homes is chronic oversizing of heating and cooling equipment, as well as oversizing of air duct delivery systems. Within the industry it’s well known that oversized systems in energy-efficient homes often result in comfort issues for occupants, and can lead to warranty claims. Like putting shoes on a child that are too big, oversized HVAC systems result in homes that run ‘sloppily’ and inefficiently. Short-cycling of HVAC equipment may lead to cold rooms on the second floor and in rooms over garages with exposed floors. 92
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During the cooling season, problems include poor thermal circulation and inadequate dehumidification. Short-cycling also results in decreased mechanical efficiency and compromises the performance of today’s more efficient heating and cooling equipment. These problems can be avoided by the use of the new CAN/CSA F280-12 standard, entitled Determining the Required Capacity of Residential Space Heating and Cooling Appliances. The new Standard, for which OHBA was an active advocate, provides a tremendous opportunity for home builders and the HVAC industry to rationalize new mechanical system design. Some designers/contractors will also recognize some cost savings while optimizing system designs under the new standard. This OHBA advocacy success is a win-win for homeowners and builders. Here is a brief synopsis of key changes: • The calculation method now
accepts airtightness values, such as blower door test results. This will be important in both new and existing homes where specific airtightness targets have been verified by site testing.
with an exhaust-only ventilation system, the new standard accounts for the slight negative pressure that changes the leakage patterns in a home. • In the old Standard, the total heat loss for the building was assigned to individual rooms as a function of the heat loss of that room. In the new Standard, recognition of the stack effect (warm air rising) will mean that air leakage heat loss will be a function of the location of specific rooms.
The new CSA F280 Standard The new CSA F280 Standard results in more accurate and potentially lower load calculations that reflect the efficiency improvements in today’s new homes. Below are results applying both the old and new standard to a reference home assumed to have an HRV airtightness of approx. 2.5ACH50, with a January design temp of -20C, and summer design temp of 31C.
Total Heat Loss BTUs/hr Old CSA F280 New CSA F280
57,646 34,665
Air leakage component of Heat Loss BTUs/hr Old CSA F280 New CSA F280
13,685 5,049
Total Heat Gain BTUs/hr • The interaction between different
types of ventilation systems and air leakage is accounted for. For example, in a home
Old CSA F280 New CSA F280
32,450 26,750
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In other words, rooms on the first floor of a home will be assigned a greater portion of the air leakage component. • The U-factors and solar heat gain coefficients from a window manufacturer’s CSA A440-compliant labelling can be entered directly into the calculations. This is important, given the increase in window/ wall ratios and the resulting heat-gain load on air conditioners.
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• The new Standard gives credit for
heat/energy recovery ventilation devices employed in a home. • The new Standard will result in more accurate and potentially lower load calculations, given the efficiency changes in new homes. In applying the new Standard, designers and mechanical contractors will need to recalibrate old “rules of thumb” for sizing equipment in today’s new homes. • Equipment with optimized controls could be more compact, programmed to operate at peak efficiency over longer cycle times and make use of newer, efficient fan motors and pump controls.
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• Smaller loads with traditional forced-air systems require reduced fan capacity. The delivery systems’ (i.e. air duct design) smaller-sized ducts can deliver optimal comfort to every room. The new Standard was formally recognized by the Ontario Building Code as of January 1, 2015 and is expected to be referenced in the National Building Code of Canada in the near future. In the last two years, it has been applied on multiple Net Zero Energy Housing (NZEH) projects across Canada with great success. Occupants of these projects are raving about the comfort of their homes. Besides being quieter, and often smaller, ‘right-sized’ equipment delivers ambient temperatures that are nearly identical on every floor and in every room. The mechanical systems also operate at peak efficiency, further reducing the cost of operation. Andrew Oding is the Senior Building Sci-
(844) 466-0664 CALL US TODAY! 94
ontario home builder spring 2015
ence Associate of Building Knowledge Canada Inc., Chair of the OHBA Technical Committee and Chair of the CHBA Net Zero Energy Housing Council. ohba.ca
Setting the Standard CSA Group Welcomes Home Builder Participation By Nicki Islic For more than 90 years, CSA Group
(Canadian Standards Association) has harnessed the knowledge and experience of volunteer members to develop and maintain more than 3,000 codes and standards. Without their contributions, standards development would simply not be possible. Codes and standards can provide a framework to help ensure projects are completed safely and sustainably using best practices. They can also help reduce the risk to staff on the jobsite, to property and to home builders’ reputations. Whether complying with standards is mandatory or voluntary, getting involved has numerous benefits to home builders. Since standards are developed using a balanced, consensus-based process, having representation at the table from builders and contractors is vital. Builders deal with standards every day and are uniquely positioned to comment on how they are applied and can be improved. Getting involved can offer insight into eventual compliance requirements and an inside look at cuttingedge advancements in the field. It could even provide a competitive advantage to forward-thinking home builders. Rapidly changing guidelines for building materials, electrical components, environmental regulations and safety procedures are all important considerations for builders. New editions of The Canadian Electrical Code, construction and infrastructure codes, occupational health and safety standards as well as changing government regulations introduce new guidelines that projects must comply with. While these new editions can bring numerous advantages, home builders are the ones tasked with applying these standards in their work. But understanding and complying with them all can be daunting. So where can home builders get started? CSA Group recently launched CSA Communities, allowing people to learn more about how industry standards are developed and applied while connecting with other users of standards to share best practices. CSA ohba.ca
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4250 Weston Rd., Suite 208 Toronto ON M9L 1W9 416.742.2882 yasmine@my-designstudio.com
Communities is an online resource that builders can use to discover ways to comply with regulations, reduce risk, improve safety on the job and better understand what customers are looking for. CSA Communities draws people from all walks of life, including consumers, regulators, educators and others who work with standards every day. Homeowners are active in the Communities and ask questions around a range of home building topics, from window certification and masonry to building materials and more. There’s a lot of information to benefit contractors and a real opportunity to make connections with potential customers. The site also fosters discussions around trends impacting homeowners and builders. For instance, real estate trends show increased sales in ‘green’ building practices, with homeowners excited by the prospect of owning a sustainably built home. An entire community on the site deals exclusively with sustainability projects and best practices, including an ongoing discussion on how home builders can use Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to choose building products that can contribute to greater energy efficiency and showcase environmental responsibility. On the community for fuel-burning appliances, there are ongoing discussions around important safety issues affecting homeowners, such as new regulations making carbon monoxide detectors mandatory in Ontario homes, as well as the use of protective barriers for fireplaces. Residential construction projects should be safe workplaces. Workers and supervisors are all responsible for safety, and standards are key tools to help ensure that these construction sites are safe. Many of CSA Group’s Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) standards, referenced in Ontario’s OH&S regulations, are available to view on the Communities site. There are numerous active discussions on hazards and issues affecting residential construction sites, such as working at heights, protective equipment, scaffolding and crane safety. Best of all, CSA Communities is free to join, and it takes just seconds to set up a profile to quickly discover the value of standards.
DESIGN SALES • MODEL HOMES • CUSTOM HOMES
Nicki Islic is a Standards Manager
design
make my design studio yours
Yasmine Goodwin Principal
My Design Studio’s proven process has made us the decor studio of choice for builders who value service quality and want to maximize their revenue. Our experienced design team is ready to partner with you from our beautifully appointed decor centre, or at your location. Make us part of your next project. Call today.
my-designstudio.com
for CSA Group. 96
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YOUR TEAM to Navigate Successful Real Estate Financing and Development Deals Leor Margulies | (416) 360-3372 | lmargulies@robapp.com
Keeping an eye on your projects
www.robapp.com
@RobinsA ppleby
Multivista, a leading provider of photo, video and webcam documentation services to the construction industry, has added to its Toronto location with a new Ottawa base. According to Huw Roberts, Principal Operator of Multivista, Ottawa, “The Ottawa region is a very important market. Not only does Ottawa make sense geographically, it is also home to a booming residential market.” Multivista provides visual as-built services for construction and facilities managers. Its comprehensive services document every aspect of a construction project to ensure the delivery of better-built, better-managed projects. Inspection-grade, digital photography is indexed to architectural plans by time and location, preserving a perfect record of the project life cycle. All photo, video and webcam data are integrated into one online platform and the Multivista App lets users access their project floor plans and photo documentation from anywhere at any time so that issues can be resolved quickly. multivista.com ohba.ca
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GE Monogram opens luxury showroom Complete Accessibility Specializing in residential and commercial accessibility since 1985, Motion Specialties offers the largest selection of mobility equipment to suit any application. Explore our stairlift, vertical lift, and elevator offerings to provide complete accessibility throughout your home or business. 416.617.6326 | elevating@motionspecialties.com | www.motionspecialties.com
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Following success in New York and Chicago, upscale appliance retailer GE Monogram has opened a luxury showroom in Toronto’s Castlefield Design District. The two-storey state-of-the-art Monogram Design Centre, designed by the acclaimed Hariri Pontarini Architects, will allow discerning homeowners and trade professionals to interact with Monogram’s line of luxury appliances, including its 2,500 sq. 12:50 PM ft. cooking studio. “Monogram has earned the reputation as the badge for consumers who are actually looking to use their professional appliances. We have invested to create a unique space that celebrates Torontonian’s love of food,” says Monogram GM Philippe Meyersohn, whose facility will also include a rooftop herb garden.
CertainTeed issues health product declarations for fibreglass insulation CertainTeed has raised the bar for product transparency in the insulation marketplace, issuing the industry’s first Health Product Declarations (HPDs) for fibreglass insulation. The HPDs cover the company’s high-performance Sustainable Insulation 98
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ohba.ca
JUST ANOTHER CASE OF WINDOW ENVY.
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LAND SERVICES GROUP
THE RIGHT TEAM
FOR REAL RESULTS As leading land brokers in the GTA and across Canada, the Land Services Group serves as trusted advisers to the GTA’s most notable companies. Backed by the world’s most powerful real estate platform, the Land Services Group is committed to delivering superior results to our clients. For more information on how we can assist you with your real estate needs, please contact us at: www.cbre.ca/mclsg
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batts, as well as its family of blowing wool insulation products, offering builders new insight into the chemical and material makeup of the products they choose. The HPDs were issued in alliance with the HPD Collaborative, a customer-led organization committed to the continuous improvement of the building industry’s environmental and health performance through transparency and innovation in the building product supply chain. HPD is an open standard that establishes a common reporting language for disclosing information about the ingredients used to manufacture a building product and their associated health risks. It helps builders and architects make more informed specification decisions when indoor comfort and occupant health are of primary importance. HPDs also contribute to important material and resource credits under the newest version of LEED, which places greater emphasis on product transparency. “ The green building industr y has embraced product transparency as a valuable tool to ensure the built environment is as sustainable, efficient, comfortable and healthy as it can be,” says Drew Brandt, VP of marketing for CertainTeed’s Insulation Group. “HPDs are a natural next step in this evolution, and we’re proud that CertainTeed—long a proponent of the highest green building ideals—is helping to push the movement to the next level.” certainteed.com/insulationHPD OHB ohba.ca
Pollard, a name you can trust. Pollard Windows is a 100% Canadian owned manufacturer of quality windows and doors since 1948. Whether you’re looking for replacement windows for property management or building your next project, Pollard has the right products for you. Pollard, your trusted source for quality windows and doors.
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P O L L A R D W I N D O W S . C O M
RECEIVER’S AUCTION Subject to Court Approval
www.trussengineering.ca t: 647-343 0915
PARTIALLY COMPLETED FULLY SERVICED CONDOMINIUM DEVELOPMENT ~ The Waterways of Muskoka, Bracebridge, Ontario ~
BID DEADLINE: AUCTION DATE:
A to Z SUPPORT IN BUILDING PROJECTS
APRIL 22, 2015 APRIL 29, 2015
RESERVE PRICE: $1,700,000 CDN 56 Fully Serviced Parcels of Tied Lands (“POTLs”) in Varying Degrees of Finish: • 44 Unfinished Units • 4 Units with Foundations • 7 Partially Constructed Units • 1 Substantially Built Unit Cushman & Wakefield Ltd., Brokerage Mark Cascagnette, Sr. Vice President, Sales Representative (905) 501 6426 • mark.cascagnette@ca.cushwake.com
Truss Engineering Group (TEG) provides A to Z support in building projects: strong structural design for residential, commercial, recreational, institutional, high-rise buildings, as well as drawing preparation, permit applications, construction and supervision. To learn more about our projects and services, check out our website: www.trussengineering.ca
Keen-Summit Capital Partners LLC Craig Fox, Director (646) 381 9222 • www.keen-summit.com
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Cogeco’s Home Builder Program
COGECO CABLE would like to customize a program that will help turn your builds into homes. Providing digital TV, high speed internet and telephone services, COGECO has the quality products you need.
Contact your area manager to see how we can help you. Please call 1-866-216-0045 or email HomeBuilder@cogeco.com for more information
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Condominium development projects can be like navigating rough waters. Let our experienced legal team steer you through.
Robert Mullin LL.B., LL.M., A.C.C.I. 1 800 746 0685 x 255
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product focus
Pella’s Designer Series window
It’s an Open and Shut Case New doors and windows blend design and energy efficiency By dan o’reilly
Whether it’s what you want to see when looking in, or what you want to see when looking out, the windows and doors of our homes doors reflect our personal tastes and priorities. For home builders and renovators seeking to respond and adjust to those varying demands, selecting and installing doors and windows that deliver the dual qualities of design and energy efficiency are crucial in marketing and selling their houses. The following is a sample of some advanced products on the market. ohba.ca
Designer windows also sensible
Available in an array of custom design options, Pella’s Designer Series of windows and patio doors with between-the-glass blinds and shades contribute to more energy-efficient homes. Betweenthe-glass blinds and shades reduce indoor allergens, are protected from dust and damage, and have no cords, which make them safer for children and pets. Another major feature is exceptionally energy-efficient triple-pane glass, which keeps the temperatures inside t he home comfor tably consistent all year round, says the manufacturer. pella.com ontario home builder spring 2015
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product focus
Doors are stylish, yet whimsical
Harmonized with its Then & Now Fashion Forward Finishing Collection of coordinated mouldings, baseboards and trimwork, the Fashion Forward line of interior doors from Metrie evoke a look that is sophisticated and classic, yet with a playful twist. The largerthan-average 12-inch bottom rail and primed medium-density fibreboard facing creates a smooth and grand look to match the collection’s higher baseboards. This adds an element of drama without having to rely on expensive flooring or furniture. As the doors come with a white primer, builders and renovators can paint them to suit the specific tastes of their clients. The collection works extremely well with full-height rooms. metrie.com
Clopay garage doors
Garage doors with drama
Colour, drama and glamour are the terms that garage door manufacturer Clopay is using to portray its new steel black door. A proprietary Intellicore insulation technology is used to apply a black finish to its Gallery Collection and Classic Collection product line. Features of these “sandwich” constructed doors include a layer of environmentally safe, CFC-free, polyurethane insulation foam, which is injected between two layers of heavy gauge steel with a thermal break and R-values up to 18.4. According to the company, Intellicore insulation delivers twice the thermal performance of polystyrene insulation of the same thickness, as well as adding strength and rigidity to the door panels. clopaydoor.com
Zola Windows Mix and Match windows
Windows with heritage
In response to the increased movement to conserve and renovate heritage and older houses in North America, Zola Windows has perfected a high-performance, allwood simulated double-hung window. The American Heritage SDH is a replicaquality window engineered to include a lower “tilt & turn” and a fixed upper pane. The combination is a window that provides outstanding performance, while maintaining the style and proportions of a traditional double-hung window. Featuring R-11 glass and triple air seals, it preserves the original architectural aesthetic and historic style and proportions. Offset glass planes also create the shadow line that is characteristic of historic double-hung windows. zolawindows.com 104
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Metrie Fashion Forward Finishing Collection
W it h t he du a l C r a f t sm a n a nd DoubleNature window product lines from Strassburger, builders can offer homebuyers a package that balances their design needs with their budget restrictions. For high-profile areas such as the family room, builders might want to recommend the Craftsman. It features a stainable oak or pine wood on the interior, with a maintenancefree vinyl exterior. With the all-vinyl DoubleNature, the look and warmth of wood can be achieved with a wood finish, which the manufacturer suggests is the most realistic in the industry. There are four distinct water-based, UV-resistant st a i n s to complement e x i st i ng woodwork or blend perfectly with other materials. strassburger.net
DoubleNature windows from Strassburger in mahogany (left) and oak.
ohba.ca
SAVE THE DATE Join us at OHBA’s Annual Conference September 27-29, 2015
Deerhurst Resort, Huntsville Hosted by Haliburton County Home Builders’ Association
luxury residential elevators expertise, installation and customer service second to none
1.888.423.4865 2 Walker Drive Brampton
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product focus
Adding colour to windows
A lthough popular with homeowners and builders because of their durability, efficiency and affordability, the options for adding colour to PVC windows have always been limited. Paint doesn’t last and metal cladding can be costly, notes All Weather Windows, which has invented a product to overcome that drawback. Backed by a 10-year warranty and available in five colours, the Renolit EXOFOL FX is a highperformance weather- and UV-resistant acrylic-based film that permanently bonds to the PVC window frame. After being cut and measured, the Renolit is welded into the windows during the manufacturing process. allweatherwindows.com
Artistic Skylight Domes
Skylights with style and substance
With its distinctive configuration, the G-P-CF-FF glass pyramid skylight from Artistic Skylight Domes is a visually appealing option for high-end houses. At the same time, it’s very practical. Along with the unique architectural look, the shape allows for efficient snow runoff. Manufactured with corrosion-resistant extruded aluminum curb frames, the skylight is offered in several standard sizes and custom dimensions, with a number of finishes. There are many low-E tempered glass options available for the glazing to manage energy performance and solar heat gain, or even to achieve a specific aesthetic.
Door line has been expanded
Pollard Windows
artisticskylight.com
Standards spark door redesign
Made with fibreglass for additional strength and durability, the new lower sill on Pollard Windows’ Polardor Entrance doors makes the door easier to operate, as well as contributing to LEED and Green Globe ratings. Less than two inches high, the sill is thermally stable, while the door system meets Energy Star requirements. Pollard redesigned the sill to meet North American Fenestration Standards as required by the Ontario Building Code for all building permits issued on or after January 1, 2014. Other improvements to the Polardor Entrance line include a substantial powder-coated aluminum astragal and dedicated 4 5/8”, 6 5/8” and 7 1/8” jamb sizes. pollardwindows.com 106
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All Weather Windows
Therma-Tru doors and sidelites
Featuring clean lines and crisp right angles, the Pulse series of contemporary doors is a fun and easy way to make a bold statement about a home, says Therma-Tru, which has announced a major expansion, adding Mahogany-grained fibreglass options to a product line that includes the original oakgrained fibreglass, smooth fibreglass and steel doors. In addition, Therma-Tru has unveiled the Echo, a new style within the Pulse line that consists of 12 door styles and four sidelite options in a variety of glass designs and material offerings. Offered in 6’8” and 8’0” heights and backed by a full-system limited warranty, Pulse doors and sidelites are available as Energy Starqualified. thermatru.ca
Formica 180fx Collection
ohba.ca
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product focus
A winning combination
Consisting of a thin, yet durable fibreglass closed-back frame and high quality hardware, which makes for smooth operation and a full 90-degree opening for maximum ventilation and easy cleaning, the 300 Series casement window from Fibertech is both eyecatching and technologically advanced. Offered in all shapes and extensive sizes, its best feature is the energy rating, holding one of the leading u-values in the industry (as low as 0.14). An optional authentic oak veneer finish enhances the window’s attractiveness. fibertec.com
Casa Bella’s Architectural Plus Casement window
Windows with performance
With its stylish look, energy-saving potentia l and mu lti-point secur it y locking system, Casa Bella’s Architectural Plus Casement window with its highperformance option is sure to grab homeow ner at tent ion. Con si st i ng of technical components such as a SuperSpacer warm edge thermal glass spacer, a thermal foam-filled frame and sash cavities, triple weatherstripping, and double low-E glazing, the Architectural Plus can achieve up to a 138% higher rating than Energy Star requirements. Design features include rounded edges and transitions, as well as folding stainless steel hardware.
Fibertec window
casabellawindows.ca
Intuitive door handles
Activated by simply pressing a subtle thumb lever, an innovative latch-andrelease sidebar handle opens and closes Phantom Screens’ Legacy retractable door screen silently and effortlessly. The manufacturer describes the handle as an intuitive fixture because it automatically latches the screen in place. As a result, the frustration that homeowners have had with older-style screen products has been eliminated. Besides the innovative handle, which is a standard feature, Legacy screen doors provide the benefits of ventilation and insect protection, while blending perfectly with virtually any home’s decor.
Phantom Screens’ Legacy retractable door
phantomscreens.ca
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product showcase
Build Enjoyment!
1 888 644 2844 www.almarvinyl.ca
VINYL IS FINAL
Beaver Valley Stone offers the largest selection of natural stone and precast products in Ontario, including flagstone, both random and saw cut. We also have many different types of drywall, ledgerock, natural stone steps and sills. Our precast concrete products include patio slabs, sills, steps and curbs. We also offer a wide selection of interlocking paving stones and retaining wall systems, from a variety of manufacturers. Accessories available.
ohba.ca
FENCE • DECK • RAIL
Leak-Bye
The Interior Foundation Drainage System
Visit one of
Canada’s largest outdoor displays
25 Langstaff Road East,Thornhill (Yonge & Hwy 7-407) Phone: 416-222-2424 or 905-886-5787
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Be sure to use the Leak-Bye interior foundation drainage system. Used by award-winning builders, Leak-Bye diverts inside moisture from foundation leaks and condensation to the floor slab drainage system below. Leak-Bye, your best defense against water penetration.
Leak-Bye Incorporated
RR#3 Mt. Forest, Ontario N0G 2L0 ATTN: John Plume Toll Free: 1-800-393 LEAK (5325) Tel: (519) 323-4123 Fax: (519) 323-4793
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outside the box
Dutch Treat Things are looking up in Amsterdam, and there’s something to be said for standing tall here too! BY avi friedman the water in the canals that cross
Amsterdam glittered on a sunny summer day when I visited. A child on his way to school waved goodbye to his mother, who watched him from an upper window as he left a tall townhouse parallel to the canal. The five- and six-storey structures were no more than 25 feet wide. Each floor had two narrow front windows to let light stream in. At first glance, the buildings that lined the streets of Amsterdam look alike, yet each has its own unique intricate masonry facade to distinguish it from the next. Built centuries ago when Amsterdam was a walled city, space was limited and municipal taxes were collected according to the building’s width. To minimize costs, builders exploited the structure’s height and length and reduced width to the bare minimum. One apartment building I saw was a mere six feet wide! And they have stood the test of time, undergoing a transition to contemporary use. Elevators were installed in some and interior walls demolished and rebuilt in others, yet the underlying principle remained intact: best use of a small space. Their real 110
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estate value has also skyrocketed as many have begun to appreciate these buildings’ charm and location in the heart of the city. As part of a row, the buildings’ form also has an energy-saving component—since heat rises, the upper floors benefit from heat generated in lower levels and the warm common walls of adjacent buildings. Walking the canal side of the narrow streets, I felt as though I was in the heart of a huge townhouse project. It also made me reflect on the urban state of affairs back home and the need to rethink our menu of offerings. North America’s first settlers borrowed from their European predecessors by building their homes in dense forms—the old districts of Toronto and Montreal are a vivid testimony to this period—but when means of commuting became inexpensive and common, the generations that followed took advantage of cheap land and built their homes wider rather than taller. Settlers of Western Canada abandoned the former patterns completely, with homes in windswept prairie towns spread far apart. The end of World War II marked another
turning point in urban planning, as homes grew even larger with parking garages tacked onto their sides. Dwelling expansion paralleled the dramatic rise in cost and complexity of infrastructure, resulting in higher city taxes. In most urban centres, young first-time buyers can no longer afford to buy new homes. All of these issues make one ask: “Shouldn’t we build tall rather than wide?” The future may force us to draw lessons from early Dutch urban planners. Parking in the rear, along with the introduction of back lanes, can eliminate the need for a side garage, meaning narrower lots. Neighbourhoods can have both row and singledetached housing, ridding them of current cookie-cutter appearances. Reduced street width will bring back a forgotten component of urban planning: human scale. These changes stand to benefit us all, while making it more affordable for the first-time homebuyer. OHB Dr. Avi Friedman teaches architecture at McGill University. avi.friedman@mcgill.ca ohba.ca
BUILDS
COMMUNITIES
Well trained. Highly skilled manpower. That’s our specialty! When a community is built from the ground up, there is no labour force on the planet, better skilled to get the job done right the first time. LiUNA members and retirees made a commitment to their careers, which means a commitment to our communities. A commitment to build the BEST schools, airports, hospitals, office buildings, tunnels, power plants, roads, bridges, low rise and high rise housing in the country. When the work is done, LiUNA members and retirees continue to live, play and grow in their communities, with the guarantee of a pension that is also....simply the BEST! Approaching 100,000 members and retirees across Ontario, LiUNA is committed to building communities throughout the Province. While our affiliates specialize in representing construction workers, we also represent many other industries including manufacturing, health care, custodial services, convention and show exhibits.
Ontario Provincial District Council visit www.liunaopdc.org today
Still the Team You Can Trust
Our commitment has always been to offer you the best advice and solutions for your water heating and HVAC needs.
Direct Energy Home Services is now EnerCare Home Services†. Our name has changed but our commitment, focus and experienced team have not. Service & Value:
Experienced account managers offer you the best solutions for your needs.
Innovative Products:
Extensive energy-efficient water heating and HVAC equipment, as well as air handlers, propane & electric water heaters and HRVs.
Experience & Support:
Commitment:
Exceptional technical and professional service, with Same Day Service* for your customers.
Same Day Service*:
When customers call by 5pm for a water heater repair, we’ll be there as fast as the same day.
Over 700 licensed, highly-trained technicians and a dedicated builder support phone line.
Contact one of our Account Managers for a free one-on-one consultation: Port Hope to Cornwall Peterborough & Kawarthas
Ottawa & Valley
Barrie, Durham & GTA North
GTA Central
Southwest Ontario
GTA West – Niagara
Southwest Ontario
Gord McCrady 866-205-5367
Linda Oliveri 866-895-0223
June Thomson 905-717-6264
Carole Solway 416-347-9982
Dennis Mortlock 888-883-0133
Laura Bonise 647-227-1359
Peter Boker 519-521-0595
For more information on the transition, go to DirectEnergy.com/EnerCare On October 20, 2014, EnerCare Home and Commercial Services Limited Partnership (“EnerCare Home Services”) purchased Direct Energy’s Ontario home and small commercial services business. *Available to rental water heater customers whose equipment is not operational (i.e. – no hot water). On average we attend to water heater non-operational calls 90% of the time the same day. TMDirect Energy and the Energy Bolt Design are trademarks of Direct Energy Marketing Limited, used under license. TM EnerCare Home Services is a trademark of EnerCare Home and Commercial Services Limited Partnership, used under license. †